


Ink and Whiskey

by Qitana



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AU, Aged-Up Character(s), Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bartender! Kageyama, Bokuaka - Freeform, Demisexual! Kageyama, F/F, Fluff, Hinata is mostly a power bottom, KuroKen - Freeform, Lots of blushing, M/M, Pansexual! Hinata, Riding, Tattoo artist! Hinata, mentions of- iwaoi, tragic past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-04
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-04-30 01:11:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 41,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5144825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qitana/pseuds/Qitana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata nodded thoughtfully. The plot next to his shop had always been empty, and his was the only shop on the street. Some company wouldn't be the worst thing.</p><p>"Anyway, I'll leave now. Come home soon Shou, and don't get lost in that world of yours."</p><p>Hinata stuck his tongue out. "Fine! Jeez, Haji gimme a break!"</p><p>A fond smile appeared on Iwaizumi's face before he walked back out, and Hinata sighed before getting back to work.</p><p>Company huh? This might be interesting.</p><p>❀❀❀❀❀</p><p><a href="http://nairuru.tumblr.com/image/136972913106">Cover art</a> by <a href="http://nairuru.tumblr.com"> nairuru </a></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Highball

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic in this fandom and I'm super nervous but really excited! KageHina have been my Haikyuu OTP forever and writing a fic for them finally feels good! Comments and Kudos are much appreciated. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Aly](http://ryugazakkis.tumblr.com) made some wonderful [art](http://ryugazakkis.tumblr.com/post/136118501533/bartender-kageyama-tattoo-artist-hinata-for) for this story, be sure to check her blog out and love her! <3

Hinata was immersed in his work, so oblivious to his surroundings that he didn't even hear Kenma calling out to him until he felt a sharp smack on the head, snapping him back to reality. 

Pouting like a child, Hinata rubbed the sore spot on his head. He glanced up and glared at his best friend, annoyed at being pulled out of the zone. 

Kenma was one of the few people who were as short as Hinata was, with a petite build and an uncharacteristically expressionless face. His hair was parted in the middle and dyed a too yellow blonde, the strands framing his face on either side. 

If there was one feature of Kenma's that always fascinated Hinata, it was his eyes. Even after all these years of being close friends, those catlike eyes never failed to capture Hinata, and he always felt an intense need to sketch them, to capture every emotion he could find in those depths. 

Kenma looked at him, an expression of mild annoyance decorating his delicate features. 

"Shouyou, I've been calling you for five minutes now. Pay attention to your surroundings, will you?" 

"Kenma, you know how he gets when he's serious. It's like he's not even here anymore," Kuroo interrupted, sniggering. Hinata stuck his tongue out at his co-worker and smiled at Kenma, forgiving him for his previous assault. 

"What's up, Kenma?" 

"I'm done debugging the website, it should be fine now. I'm going home, I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" 

"Ok, thanks man. I owe you one." 

Kenma simply smirked before walking over to Kuroo. The two spoke for a few moments, exchanged a small kiss and Kenma left. Hinata ducked his head, trying to hide his smug grin behind his sketch pad. He was the one that had set the two of them up, after meeting Kuroo in one of his art classes at Uni. They had hit it off immediately and had been together ever since. 

He loved how happy they were, but it was a bittersweet feeling. His own loneliness was like a curse and it scared him, how used to it he had become. He couldn't remember the last time he had dated someone, let alone had sex.

Hinata didn't want to restrict himself to any one sexuality, but the one that fit him most aptly was pansexual he guessed. Gender didn't matter to him at all, the person as an individual did. He didn't have a type either, he just followed his instincts. Sadly enough, it hadn't gotten him too far with potential partners. 

Hinata had lead a pretty tough life. Losing both his parents in a tragic accident, he was left to fend for himself and his baby sister Natsu. He had no living relatives, at least none that were willing to take him in, and he came from a poor family. Being a young lad, he had no idea how to get by, let alone take care of a scared, small girl. In no time at all, he found himself on the streets, homeless. 

Hinata liked to believe it was fate that brought him and Iwaizumi together. It was raining heavily, and he was drenched to the bone. He was hungry, exhausted, and it killed him to see his baby sister shivering and whimpering helplessly. She was brave though, so brave. She never complained, simply followed him around. He begged, he stole sometimes but then, Hinata got tired. 

He had her huddled against his chest, the two of them seated on the pavement and he was on the verge of giving up. Their clothes were tattered, they were cold and hungry and carrying burdens that were too big for any person, let alone two children. Just as he was about to pass out from the exhaustion, a warm hand had touched his cheek ever so gently. 

Looking up, he was startled by the gentle expression that the stranger wore. People normally looked at them in disgust, the contempt clear in their eyes. This man however, exhibited no threat at all, instead he looked concerned and worried. Placing a hand on Natsu's forehead, his eyebrows flew up. 

"She's burning up. She might have a fever!" 

Hinata began to panic, not knowing what to do. He didn't have the knowledge nor means to care for a sick person, but Natsu was all he had left. He felt the tears well up in his eyes, and he bit his lip to keep from screaming out loud. The stranger continued to look at him, his features slightly hazy due to the lack of light. 

"Do you have no where to go?" 

Hinata shook his head.

"Why don't you come with me? I'll treat your sister too, she might get worse if she stays out here in the rain." 

All his life, he had been taught not to trust strangers. Told not to talk to them, and go anywhere with them. But Hinata trusted his instincts. The man in front of him was no threat, he was a chance at a new life. And for once, it had been the right choice, the best one. 

To this day, he doesn't regret grabbing that hand. 

Shaking his head, Hinata left the reminiscing for some other time. Iwaizumi took them in soon after and became their legal guardian. He made sure they got a proper education and even allowed Hinata to attend college on a scholarship he had earned, telling him how proud he was. 

The door to the shop jingled and Hinata smiled as the man he often referred to as his savior walked in. Shortly after uni, Hinata had decided to open his own tattoo shop and Iwaizumi had agreed to let them use his land. Hinata already had a staff that consisted of Kuroo, a fellow tattoo artist, Yachi, the receptionist and expert piercer, and Tsukihima, another tattoo artist. He was rather reluctant at first. but after much persuasion, had given in to Hinata. He was worth the trouble. His works were admirable and quite in demand. 

Hinata now owned one of the most popular tattoo parlors in the city, Murder. It was well reputed, known for being unique, efficient and highly sanitary. It had taken them time to become well known but now business was good, and Hinata enjoyed his work. His own body was littered with random tattoos and piercings. Random in their location, but each tattoo held a special meaning in his heart. Tattoos were permanent after all, a commitment you couldn't exactly get out of. 

Iwaizumi greeted Yachi and Kuroo before walking over to Hinata. 

"Shou! When you getting off work?" 

"I should be done in a few hours, Haji. I'll be home for dinner though." 

"Ok. Natsu's cooking tonight so don't be late or she'll fuss." 

"Got it." 

Iwaizumi simply smiled at him and turned his head to the side to view the wall clock, a tattoo peaking out from beneath his shirt collar. 

He had given Hinata the honor of doing his first tattoo, and had loved it immensely. He had a few more done, all by Hinata, and claimed he loved every single one of them. Hinata hoped he did, he always was extra careful when it came to Iwaizumi's tattoos. 

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, they're building something next door." 

"Oh yeah? What is it?" 

"No idea. It's still in the initial stages, but my guess would be its a restaurant or something. We might have company soon." 

Hinata nodded thoughtfully. The plot next to his shop had always been empty, and his was the only shop on the street. Some company wouldn't be the worst thing. 

"Anyway, I'll leave now. Come home soon Shou, and don't get lost in that world of yours." 

Hinata stuck his tongue out. "Fine! Jeez, Haji gimme a break!" 

A fond smile appeared on Iwaizumi's face before he walked back out, and Hinata sighed before getting back to work. 

Company huh? This might be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmu on [tumblr](http://qitwrites.tumblr.com%22)


	2. Sazerac

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response I got was really awesome, thanks guys! Hope you enjoy! :)

TWO MONTHS LATER 

Hinata was almost done with the finishing touches on his latest customer. A rather timid looking woman but with bold taste, she was getting an intricate tattoo of a skull on her back. She wasn't particularly chatty and Hinata was fine with that, but personally he liked talking to his customers when he worked. 

Each tattoo artist was different in the way they did things. They had different styles, different techniques, different rules. Hinata was one of the very few that truly enjoyed getting to know his customer. He was actually interested in finding out why the person wanted that particular tattoo, what significance lay behind it. 

Kuroo was more ambiguous. If a person or the pattern they picked struck his fancy, he'd be genuinely interested in finding out more. Otherwise, he politely listened and nodded when needed but otherwise, he was quite indifferent. Tsukihima had the least class, immediately telling the person not to talk to him, claiming that it would disrupt his work oe focus, which frightened them enough to keep their mouths shut the whole time. 

As soon as he was done, Hinata pulled back and grinned, more than satisfied at how good the design looked. It came together beautifully, and he couldn't help marvel at how good the woman's choice was. 

"We're all done ma'am." Rolling away, he discarded the used needle and immediately began sterilizing his equipment, not wanting to forget later on. 

The woman sat up and straightened her shirt. She smiled at him shyly.

"Thank you." 

Hinata flushed slightly but returned her smile with a grin of his own. After straightening herself out a bit more, she walked over to Yachi, ready to make her payment. 

Hinata stretched his body and looked over at the clock. It was only 1:05 in the afternoon, and he had no appointments for the rest of the day. It was a week day, which usually meant less business, but it was also some sort of festival, so he didn't have any evening appointments either. The free time usually meant he was supposed to start working on sketches for future appointments but that _never_ happened. Not only was Hinata a thoroughbred procrastinator, he couldn't draw without the right mood. Nothing came out well if he didn't feel it. 

Walking out of his booth, he glanced over at Kuroo, peeping into his work space. He seemed free too, but unlike Hinata, he was researching sketches online for his next tattoo. A peek at Tsukki's booth told him that the man was simply listening to music and reading manga, done with his appointments as well.

Sighing, Hinata trudged over to Yachi who had finished billing the woman. Plopping his head on the table, Hinata sighed dramatically, making Yachi giggle. 

"Hinata, what's wrong?" 

"I'm boored Yachi! What do we do all day?" 

"Well, I'm actually hungry, so how about we go grab some lunch? I heard there's a good Mexican place not too many streets away." 

Hinata perked up immediately, the sound of food making him much happier. 

"Yeah that's cool! I'll ask Kuroo to man your desk while we're gone. Gimme a sec, let me get my coat and wallet." 

Hinata bounded to his booth, grabbed the essentials and headed over to Kuroo's booth. 

"Yo Kuroo? Yachi and I are going out for Mexican, want anything? Also, can you watch her station wh-" 

"EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU GUYS OPEN?" 

Hinata flinched at the over dramatic voice that spoke at volumes too loud to be normal. Walking away from Kuroo's booth, the raven head following him closely, he finally got a good look at the newcomer and almost did a double take.

 _Gorgeous_ would not describe just how attractive the person was, wouldn't do justice to how he just stood there, looking like a god or a prince out of a fairy tale. He had sharp features- a good shaped nose, thin lips, a cut jaw. Warm brown hair adorned his head, styled to look messy and yet he didn't look tacky. His eyes were a chocolate brown that shone brightly, but he looked greatly distressed and in an absolute hurry. He was tall, and had a lean figure, not particularly bulked up but with enough muscle to make you look twice if his face wasn't the reason. He wore a pair of well fitted jeans, artfully ripped, a tee, some vans and a scarf. Stylish, but not in a way that could over come his innate attractiveness. 

Kuroo whistled softly behind Hinata and he elbowed the taller male, rolling his eyes. Bounding over to the newcomer, Hinata flashed his friendliest smile. 

"Can I help you sir?" 

"Yeah, actually I'm hoping you can. Look, I know this is a tattoo shop but do you guys make signs? I'm in desperate need of one." The man spoke really fast but his voice was actually really nice, smooth and slightly raspy, when he didn't shout with enough dramatic flair to make Shakespeare proud. 

"Ok sir, calm down. You need to give us more details than that." 

Breathing slowly, the man relaxed a bit before elaborating.

"So I'm sure you guys have noticed the construction next door?" They nodded. "Yeah so I'm the man that bought that site and we just finished. We're opening a bar and the opening is tonight. As in _tonight_ tonight. Now, my manager is usually a very efficient person, key word being _usually_ , but somehow it slipped his mind to get the sign done. I know, I can't believe he forgot something THAT important, but there's no time for me to guilt trip him. I've already invited quite a few important people so the opening can't be changed! Please, can you help me?" 

"One question, how will people see this at night? I mean, even if we do make a sign, it won't light up or anything, so what's the plan?" 

"Oh that's fine. I've got some really powerful spotlights, I can keep them focused on the sign all night. So you guys can do it? Please tell me you'll do it! I'm willing to pay, I really am. I can't _not_ have a sign, and I can't risk asking some person whose store is too far. Traffic and all that. Plus, time is of the essence." 

Hinata and Kuroo looked at each other, had a silent exchange and it went something like this-

H: think we can pull it off?

K: I don't see why not? We have nothing else to do anyway.

H: true. 

K: I want tacos by the way.

H: we have to finish this by tonight, you don't have time to get tacos.

K: I still want tacos.

H: we need to draw up a rough sketch, then increase the size and make sure it fits into the material, than we need to practise before doing the actual sign, and we can't fuck up the final product. 

K: .... Still want tacos. 

Hinata sighed, but turned to the beautiful man with a smile. "We'll do it." 

The man smiled radiantly, and Hinata almost covered his eyes at how bright he looked. Yachi still stood at the counter, a look of utter shock still covering her face as she tried to recover from the man's strange entrance. She hadn't changed much since school, taking time to warm up to people who seemed a bit out of the ordinary. 

"That's awesome Shrimpy!" 

"... Call me that one more time and I'll change my mind, you understand sir?" 

It didn't help that Kuroo was shaking with laughter. 

"I'm really sorry, that was rude and unintentional. Actually, I haven't introduced myself have I? The name's Oikawa, Oikawa Tooru. And yourselves?" 

"I'm Hinata Shouyou, this is Kuroo, and she's Yachi. Do you have any specifications in mind? I'm sure we need to hurry up. Also, materials. Do you have all of them or do you need to buy anything?" 

"I'm not sure what you want actually. Make a list for me please? I'll tell one of my workers to pick it up." 

Hinata and Kuroo quickly put together a list and handed it to Oikawa who was already dialing a number. Bringing the phone to his ear, he waited rather impatiently, and his face slackened when the call connected. 

"Tobio-chan! I need you to run some errands for me! No, I won't take no for an answer. I am your boss, listen to me! Yes I pay you! No it doesn't have anything to do with bar tending but it does have a lot to do with the bar! Finally, you give a damn. So listen, I need you to go to the shop nearby and buy...." rattling off item after item, Oikawa told the person on the phone all the things they needed before signing off in his singsong voice. 

"Done! We can start with rough drafts if you're ready. Seriously though, thank you so much!"

Kuroo smiled and answered, "Hey it's cool. We're free anyway, plus you're paying so no complaints. But could you do us a favour?" 

"Anything!" 

"Could you get us tacos?" 

"Kuroo!" Hinata hissed, looking up from the paper he was working on. 

Oikawa simply laughed, his skin beneath his eyes crinkling in that extremely attractive way. 

"Sure. The new place a few roads away right? The food's good. Be back in a few." 

~~~~~~~~~ 

_One and a half hours later_

The team had eaten lunch and were very much in the zone. Oikawa had some pretty good ideas, and Hinata tried bringing them to life the best he could. 

"What's the name anyway?" Hinata had asked. "Kinda hard to make the sign without the name, you know?" 

"The King's court." 

"Oh? Sounds interesting. _Grand_. But I'm missing something, aren't I?" Kuroo muttered, locking eyes with Oikawa.

"Perceptive, aren't you? It's the most ironic title I could think of, something I'm hoping will keep me in line." 

The sign was shaping up well, and it was certainly unique. Brainstorming was nice, and when he felt like it sometimes, even Tsukki would wander over, throw in an idea or two and walk away, disinterested again. 

When the rough sketch was almost done, the door to the shop opened again and the three of them glanced up, forgetting that they needed to make a much bigger version to begin with and had sent someone to being the materials needed. The man looked disgruntled but in retrospect, Hinata realised that they just had a resting bitch face. 

He looked about Hinata's age but taller, with quite an impressive build. His hair was neat and parted, his bangs falling into his too blue eyes that seemed so intense. He was attractive, but not the way Oikawa was, not in the conventional sense. He was attractive in a more subdued, _the-more-time-you-look-the-better-it-gets_ kinda way. When blue met orange, Hinata found himself intrigued by the person's intensity, but he wasn't scared, like he normally would've been. Merely curious.

"Oikawa-San, I got all the materials you asked me to bring." His voice was slightly deeper than Oikawa's, on the huskier side where Oikawa's was soft. 

And then he frowns, "But why on earth did you ask me to bring jelly beans?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next one will definitely have more KageHina, my babies shall speak. :3 
> 
> Just a note: since the characters are aged up, they will be a bit more mature but their interactions with each other will still be the way it is portrayed in the manga/anime. I don't want to call it OOC, more like the consequence of growing up. 
> 
> Anyway, comments and kudos always appreciated!


	3. Whiskey Sour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies in advance for any typos. None of my works are beta'd so yeah. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Oikawa-San was pushy as always, asking Kageyama to buy a huge list of items, some of which had to be hunted down and bought from very specific stores. Kageyama was irritated, still not used to being at the man's beck and call, but he was certainly used to his impulsive tendencies and didn't see any point in getting mad either. Oikawa always got what he wanted anyway. 

Kageyama knew about the tattoo parlour Oikawa was talking about. It was right next door to the bar, and Kageyama had often walked past it while checking up on construction. He had heard of it too, considering how it was rising in fame at a steady pace. 

After completing the shopping spree, Kageyama found himself outside the parlour and spent a minute just admiring the exterior. It wasn't dark and scary looking, an image a name like _Murder_ would induce in ones' mind. It had a nice, modern feel to it, the sign written in a super groovy manner, practically inviting the customer to come in. 

Pushing the door open, Kageyama was greeted by the sight of three people sprawled across the floor, one of them being Oikawa himself. The other two looked up as he entered, and one of them caught Kageyama's interest in spite of himself. A quick view through his periphery told him that the shop was as sleek as the outside promised. Clean and spacious, there were a few separate booths, each for an individual artist he supposed. The front desk was manned by a cute looking girl with multiple well placed piercings, and each wall was covered with various patterns and designs, awards and plaques. The details, however, were lost to him as he simply stared at the man that had a pencil in hand, drawing a sketch that looked super eye catching, even from a distance. 

He had untamed, ridiculously orange hair that stood up in every direction and looked invitingly soft. His features were small and slightly feminine but as a whole, he was very obviously male. His irises were as unique a shade of orange as his hair, and he had laugh lines around his eyes that made him more attractive. His lips were thin but pink, and he had a button nose. 

His ears were pierced in various places and a variety of earrings adorned them, from loops, to dragons. He wore a half sleeved shirt that revealed a few tattoos on his arms, which were surprisingly muscular looking for a man his size. Overall, he was quite attractive, and Kageyama found it weird that he found someone physical appealing so easily. Having identified himself as demisexual from a young age, it took a while for Kageyama to notice physical beauty enough to appreciate it, but this particular person was attractive in a way that couldn't be ignored. Like that one ray of sunshine that would get past all the canopying trees to bask you in its warmth. 

Kageyama snapped out of his stupor in an instant and immediately got down to business. He knew how important this sign was, and he had no time to waste introspecting. He could do that some other time. 

"Oikawa-San, I got all the materials you asked me to bring." He raised the bag slightly and gestured at it. One thing however confused him and he decided to clear it up.

"But why on earth did you ask me to bring you jelly beans?"

Oikawa laughed heartily and sprang up, walking over to Kageyama. He smiled his signature smile, something that normally made people swoon, but had no affect whatsoever on the ever so evasive Kageyama. 

"You know I have a sweet tooth, Tobio-chan. Where are they? I want to eat some." 

Kageyama dug it out of the bag, rolling his eyes at his superior. He didn't actually mind though, and Oikawa knew it. They shared a strange love-hate relationship that kept them both sane, and time had only served to strengthen their unique bond. 

"Thanks, Tobio-chan. Ah let me introduce you to our savior. That is Kuroo."

The two others had gone back to drawing but looked up again to acknowledge Kageyama. The man named Kuroo stood up and Kageyama realized he was taller than him, with a pretty intense aura. Black hair much like his own covered his left eye, and he had a muscular build. His own body seemed littered with tattoos, and he had an easy going smile. 

"Yo." 

"Hello." 

"And that cutie over there, is Hinata Shouyou." 

The boy named Hinata got to his feet and bounded over to Kageyama, a happy smile plastered on his face and a light blush dusting his cheeks at the smooth compliment. He was even smaller than Kageyama had anticipated, but his physique was worth noting, honed muscles covering his entire tiny, lithe frame. He seemed to be vibrating with nervous energy, barely keeping still, and he was even more attractive up close. 

"Hi, I'm Hinata, and you are?" 

"Uh, hello. I'm Kageyama Tobio. Thank you for doing this." 

Hinata's smile softened. "It's no trouble at all. It's nice to have a challenge, plus we were free today anyway."

Kageyama simply nodded when Kuroo decided to speak up. 

"You have the materials?" 

"Uh yes! I got everything on the list, some of them are in the car."

"Ok come on. Leave that stuff here, we'll go retrieve the rest. Hinata, finish the rest of the sketch, and ask Tsukki to help us size it up. We still have time but let's not cut it too close, yeah?" 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

_Two hours later_

Hinata was wrong. He was so majorly, earth shatteringly, absolutely mistaken. He thought Kageyama was nice, he thought he was attractive, he thought there was something there. Clearly, he was so fucking wrong. 

Not only did he and Kageyama fight over every single idea and every few seconds over the smallest of things, the initial sexual tension and weird comfort had vanished, leaving anger and frustration in its wake. 

"Dammit Kageyama! That'll look horrible! That color is going to clash with this, and the text font will get fucked up."

"Look at it properly Hinata-boka! Contrasts will look really good! We need eye catching. And this font is not nearly large enough." 

"It's the biggest we've got!" 

They fought continuously while Kuroo and Oikawa simply watched, fascinated. Even Tsukishima would walk over sometimes, snigger obnoxiously and go away. Oikawa offered Kuroo some imaginary popcorn and he obliged, chewing on the straw of an imaginary Pepsi as well.

"I'm kinda shocked actually," Oikawa mused. 

"Oh yeah? Why?" Kuroo felt strangely comfortable with Oikawa, and he had a feeling the two of them would get along just fine. Even though he came off as pretentious, the cover fell away soon enough, and he seemed like a decent guy. 

"Tobio-chan is never this comfortable with anyone, at least not this soon. He takes time to.... _adjust_. To trust the person and put an effort into caring. He's not shy, he's just unconcerned. He's barely known Shrimpy for a few hours, and they're arguing so passionately. He would've given up if that were me in minutes, and I've known him for years." 

Kuroo hummed, his own face contemplative. "Now that I think about it, I've never seen Hinata _not_ get along with someone. He's like this force to reckon with. You can't stay mad at him, you can't say no to him and you can't _not_ love him. He's usually very patient, and he'll love you even if you're really weird or whatever, but the way Kageyama is getting on his nerves... Interesting." 

"Interesting indeed."

"What's going on?" 

A voice interrupted the conversation between Oikawa and Kuroo, and the hundredth argument between Hinata and Kageyama. Hinata's head snapped up so quick, everyone wondered how the boy didn't get whiplash. His face broke into a huge grin as he jumped to his feet and rushed over to the newcomer, tackling him in a hug that the man received with a laugh.

"Haji! What're you doing here? I thought you weren't back for another week!" 

"Finished up a lot earlier than planned. And I missed you guys. Plus, don't tell Natsu, but I missed her cooking so bad." 

Hinata grinned up at the man, still tucked under his arm before he realized there were others around. 

"Oh yeah Haji, we've got customers, _I think_. He's Oikawa Tooru, and he's Bakageyama." 

"Oi! It's Kageyama, dumbass." 

Hinata simply stuck his tongue out, while the man watched, amused. He turned to Oikawa again. 

"Hi, I'm Iwaizumi Hajime, the landlord."

"Hello." Hinata looked at Oikawa, concerned about why his voice sounded so soft and lacked its usual bite and enthusiasm. The look on his face had Hinata reeling. Iwaizumi had let Hinata go and was looking at the sign, clearly impressed. 

Oikawa was _blushing_ , his face a ridiculous shade of red. He wasn't being soft, he was being _shy_. Hinata almost laughed. People fell for Iwaizumi a lot more than the stupid man realized. He was quite a catch too- strong, handsome, smart _and_ funny. 

Hinata decided to watch how this would pan out, and walked over to the sign again. Before they could resume work though, Oikawa spoke up, regaining his previous confidence, no sign of the lovesick man in sight. 

"As a sign of gratitude, I'm officially inviting you all to our opening tonight. Would you do us the honor of attending?" 

Hinata felt his excitement rise. He hadn't been to a bar in awhile, and he could do with a drink. They all agreed to attend, and were allowed a plus one, if they wished. 

"What's the dress code?" Kuroo muttered, and Oikawa winked. 

"Formals. The bar is actually very classy so you'd feel out of place in casuals."

Formals huh? Hinata was sure he might own something of that kind. 

"You're ALL invited, so please come by the bar at around 8." 

Hinata knew what he was trying to do and chuckled. He wouldn't intervene, but he'd bring Hajime to the bar. It was the least he could for a man that seemed hell bent on making Iwaizumi his. And he didn't seem like the worst person on the planet. 

Free drinks for the rest of his life didn't hurt either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited about the next chapter! Kageyama in bartender gear. And Iwaoi <3 
> 
> Comments and kudos much appreciated :3


	4. Daiquiri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introduced a bunch of characters yay! :3 
> 
> Enjoy!

Hinata stared at his reflection in the mirror, trying to gauge whether the outfit was good enough or not. Much to his annoyance, he didn't actually own anything that could be termed as _formals_ per se. Semi-formal was about as formal as he got apparently, and he would have to make do with that. Hajime was built heavily near the shoulders, so all his blazers and suits would float on Hinata. 

The sign had finally been completed at around 6:45 in the evening, and the delay could only be owed to the fact that Hinata and Kageyama wouldn't stop arguing, and sometimes they even found themselves arguing in favour of the same thing and not realizing it until Kuroo chirped in and told them with a mysteriously annoying smirk on his face. 

The very thought of Kageyama made Hinata's blood boil. The man was stubborn, pushy, cocky and irritating. His eyes were too blue, the rare few instances he smiled made Hinata's heart skip a beat, the arms underneath his shirt were a lot more built than Hinata had realised and- wait.... _what_? 

Hinata shook his head, attempting to push away the thoughts that seemed to suggest he _liked_ Kageyama, in a more sexual and romantic way. But that wasn't possible, was it? He didn't even like the guy, for god's sake! 

He looked in the mirror one last time and sighed. He had on a white dress shirt, rolled up till the elbows, revealing his psychedelic designed tattoos. They seemed ambiguous to most people but held a rather special meaning to Hinata, each hypnotic and unique pattern reminding him of a person. The bold patterns reminded him of Natsu, the warmer ones reminded him of Hajime, the delicately designed ones reminded him of Kenma. He never told them that, but he always remembered them, and they would always mean something special to him, because they were there for him, and they gave him a family, a home and irreplaceable amounts of love. 

He also wore simple black trousers that fit his thin frame well, and his best sneakers because apparently he didn't own dress shoes. Fortunately, they were black and didn't look _too_ out of place. He didn't own any tie that was serious enough, all of them too colorful or with cartoon designs on them but to his surprise, he found a bow tie that Natsu had gifted him years ago as a joke. It looked nice though, gave him an edge that barely made him pass as formal.

His orange hair was refused to be tamed as usual, and he gave up the minute he saw it after his shower, not even trying because he knew it was a waste of time. He exchanged the wild looking loops and dragons in his ears for black studs, and finally deemed himself ready. 

It was about 7:40, and he wasn't worried about making it there by 8. They lived a few blocks away from the store, so they were going to walk. Hajime was already sitting at the dining table, working on some contracts. He was a realtor, and a damn good one at that. He looked up and smiled at Hinata in greeting before resuming his work. Now all they had to do was wait for Natsu. 

If there was one thing Hinata loved about Natsu, it was the fact that she didn't fall into the category or mold into the stereotype of women taking hours to dress. She would take a shower, throw on some clothes and bare minimum make up before deeming herself ready. Her appearance mattered very little to her, and it helped that she was naturally beautiful in Hinata's humble opinion. 

2 minutes later, Natsu walked out of her bedroom and Hinata's jaw dropped. Never had he seen his sister quite so dressed up.

Hinata was 22, and Natsu had just touched 18. Hajime was 33, and even with such a versatile age group, the three of them got along extreme well. Their little family worked somehow, and that's the way Hinata loved it. 

Because it was just two men and Natsu, she grew up to be a tomboy and very rarely wore girly clothes or tight shirts or anything, thus surprising Hinata and to an extent, Hajime as well. 

She was tall, taller than Hinata to his dismay, and was wearing a black tight fitting dress that accentuated her curves, curves that he didn't know she possessed. She wore black one inch heels, and her ridiculous orange hair was tied in a purposely messy pony, her sharp features softened by the smile on her face. 

"Is it ok?" She gave them a twirl, and Hajime laughed. 

"You look lovely Natsu. Sometimes I forget you're a lady." Natsu pouted but walked over to them and pulled them to their feet. 

"Come on, let's go have a good time shall we?" Grabbing their biceps she pulled them out the door as they laughed and squabbled, a routine that was so comfortable, it couldn't be considered anything but familial. 

~~~~~~

The three of them stood in front of the bar, simply gawking. It was their first time viewing it at night with lighting and _boy_ , was it a sight to behold. 

The building was sleek and dark, with well placed LED lights that were currently tinting it blue. The sign they had made stood proudly on top, a beam lighting it to perfection, and Hinata couldn't help admire his own work. 

It was slender but not thin, and the font was big but not blotchy. The text was completely legible, even from a far distance, and seemed to glow slightly due to the neon paint they'd used. All in all, it packed a punch and Hinata felt satisfied with it. 

The other thing that had them shocked was the mere size of the crowd. The line looked endless, and all the people seemed like they were dressed in their best clothes. They simply chatted while waiting in the queue, the whole crowd buzzing with excitement. Just how many people had Oikawa invited to this thing?

"Maybe we should go back," Hajime muttered, the very thought of standing in line making him nauseous. Hinata simply hummed before he remembered something. 

"Oikawa-San gave me his phone number and told me to call him when we reached. If we're going home, we still need to call and tell him." 

Hinata pulled out his phone, dialed the number and waited. Oikawa picked up after the third ring.

"Oikawa." 

"Oikawa-San? It's Hinata. We're outside the bar but it's ridiculously crowded so we were thinking of heading home and visiting some other ti-" 

"I'll be out in a second. And Hinata-kun?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Did you bring.... Iwaizumi with you?" 

Hinata hid his chuckle behind a cough but couldn't fight away his smile. 

"Yes, yes I promise." 

A sigh of relief. "Oh. Ok, be right there." 

Barely thirty seconds later, Oikawa was out and striding towards them in long graceful steps, and boy was he dressed to impress. A dark suit that looked like it was tailored exclusively for him (it probably was), his hair done to perfection and a warm smile upturning his lips, Oikawa looked every bit a model as he strode towards them, confidence oozing out of his every pore. 

Hinata peeked at Iwaizumi and nearly laughed at the look of awe on his face before he forced it away, forcing himself to smile normally at the almost _too_ beautiful man. 

"Hey guys! Thanks for coming! And who might this beauty be?" 

"Natsu Hinata, my baby sister." Oikawa smiled and kissed her hand, making Natsu blush slightly. 

"Well come on, I can't wait to show you guys the inside."

The bouncer was a scary looking guy with white hair, tall and built even more than Hajime. Hinata felt intimidated in his presence, his aura too intense. 

"Oh Aone, let these guys in whenever they come by ok? No guest list needed, nothing. Just remember their faces." 

Hinata could get used to this treatment. 

~~~~~~~~~

The interiors of the bar had Hinata staring open mouthed. It was like nothing he had imagined. Looking at the outside, one would assume the inside would look just as modern, filled with sparkly lights and booming music. This however, was beyond his wildest dreams.

The interior was a fusion of modern and Victorian architecture. The whole place was filled with dark wood and well placed lights, dim but not dark.  
The moment you entered the place, a receptionist's podium stood to the right, and the entire area was divided into sections for privacy. A beautiful long bar adorned the entire left wall of the hall that encompassed all the divisions, and Hinata couldn't help marvel at the smart design. 

One other thing that Hinata loved was the music. The bar wasn't filled with loud, crappy numbers, but instead had a steady stream of Jazz music playing at an acceptable volume, giving the bar an edge like no other.

The receptionist was a man with silver hair and a smile that looked like it could possibly cure cancer. He gave them all a bow and a warm greeting before Oikawa introduced them. 

"This is Sugawara Koushi, the receptionist. Suga, this little guy helped with the sign, he's the owner of _Murder_." 

Suga's eyes widened before he graced them with another blinding smile. 

"Thank you so much! Hinata-kun, was it? You really helped us out." 

Hinata blushed and was about to reply when a waiter came thundering in, and stopped just short of slamming into Natsu. 

"Oikawa-San, we open in 5 minutes, you do not have the time to sla- who are they?" 

The man, to Hinata's utter astonishment, was shorter than him and almost as loud, if not louder. His hair was jet black with a blonde streak in his fringes, and it was all spiked up, giving him an illusion of height. He seemed spunky, and somehow Hinata warmed up to him instantly. 

"Ah Nishinoya, this is Hinata, the guy who saved our sorry butts." 

The man's eyes widened comically, a reaction similar to Sugawara's, before he gave them a charismatic smile and laughed boisterously. 

"Thanks for that man! You really saved us. Also, you own the tattoo place right? I want a tattoo, think you can help me out?" 

"Sure," Hinata smiled, feeling happier around this person for no apparent reason. "Make an appointment and we can decide on designs and stuff any time."

"Awesome!" 

Hinata didn't miss the lusty looks Oikawa was throwing Hajime, looks that were being completely ignored, not on purpose though. He sighed, knowing he was eventually going to have to push Hajime into realising that Oikawa was totally into him and he should probably think about it. 

"You've met a few of my staff members," Oikawa said smiling, "and there are only a few left. My head chef is a man named Daichi, who's very good with mains and snacks and my dessert chef is Asahi, another great cook. We've got ample number of kitchen help too. The bar is managed by Kiyoko, an old associate of mine and of course, Tobio." Kageyama's name had Hinata's stomach flutter and he hated that he felt that way. 

"Feel free to pick any place to sit guys, and order anything you want, free of charge. My treat for the sign. Also, make sure you have enough room for Kuroo and.... Kenma, was it? To join."

The group began walking towards one of the bigger tables, Sugawara engaging Hajime in a friendly conversation when suddenly, Hinata caught sight of the bartender and froze.

He had a sneaking suspicion that Kageyama would look good in his bar tending outfit, if he was being completely honest, but he never imagined he'd look this _freaking_ hot. Kageyama's back was to him, giving him a view of his broad shoulders dressed in a white shirt, the pants hugging his ass and thighs beautifully and his hair slightly messy but perfect. He was putting some glasses away, his movements practised and fluid, and Hinata found himself holding his breath.

When Kageyama turned around, Hinata nearly died, having never witnessed such beauty before. Kageyama looked serious, but there was no resting bitch face. The bar's lighting gave him a mysterious glow, his chiseled jaw line and pink lips accentuated. 

Blue met orange, and Kageyama froze. Before Hinata had even realised it, he was already standing right in front of him, just across the bar. Those eyes still mesmerised him, an illegally beautiful shade of blue, and even if he didn't like the guy, that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to like his eyes, right? 

Kageyama cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed. His frown gave way to a tiny smile that had Hinata's heart lurch. _Jeez, I'm going to die of a heart attack at this rate._ , Hinata thought grumpily. 

"Thanks! For your help, I mean.The sign looks good." 

Hinata was taken aback by his sincerity, but returned the tentative smile with one of his own. Taking a seat at the bar, he rested his chin on his hands and decided to watch Kageyama work a little while longer. 

"No problem... Bakageyama."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm guessing- awkward attempts at flirting next? xD 
> 
> Thanks for reading, comments and Kudos are the best <3


	5. Bloody Mary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This happened... I don't even know. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy anyway!

Hinata stirred his delicious cocktail idly, sighing softly for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last twenty minutes. 

It wasn't like Hinata _didn't_ know how to flirt; more like he was used to being the one that was flirted with, not the one initiating. He could continue a session, but starting one was a much bigger challenge than he had anticipated. Especially when he was trying to hit on a bartender that was busy, and that he hated. Kinda. _Maybe_? 

He just didn't know anymore. It's not like he didn't feel his blood boil every time he remembered how stubborn and willful Kageyama had been but at the same time, looking at Kageyama also makes his blood boil for different reasons. 

"Gwaahh!" Hinata nearly shouted and clutched his head. His thought process was driving him crazy, Kageyama's uniform was driving him crazy, the delicious alcoholic beverage was absolutely _NOT_ helping. He could feel Kageyama's glare burn a hole through his skull and he groaned. Even if he didn't know how to be smooth, he had attempted making conversation and it went a little something like this- 

**Hinata** : so what you doing? 

**Bakageyama** : bartending. 

**Hinata** : oh yeah.

 **Bakageyama** : idiot. 

**Hinata** : shut up!!

 **Bakageyama** : don't yell you'll get me into trouble.

 **Hinata** : then don't call me an idiot. 

**Bakageyama** : I'll call an idiot an idiot thank you very much. 

**Hinata** : shut up you Baka. Meanie. Scary creepy face person. 

Kageyama had growled at him for that and had decided to promptly ignore him for the rest of the evening it seemed. He even tried to apologise but that ended badly, he could tell.

 **Hinata** : hey Kageyama-

 **Bakageyama** : I don't talk to idiots. 

**Hinata** : rot in hell. 

**Bakageyama** : as long as I don't see you there. 

Yup, that had gone wonderfully. Hinata had a feeling the scary face comment had something to do with why Kageyama was suddenly so much colder to him, maybe he had hit a nerve? It made him feel bad, and he really did want to apologize, except that every attempt he made ended up with them insulting each other, arguing or creating problems for the other patrons.

Hinata raised his head up and was about to pick up his drink when a voice startled him out of his pathetic pity party. 

"Hinata!"

The familiar tone made him relax instinctively, and a few moments later Kuroo had draped a warm, comforting arm over his shoulders, pulling him close and laughing. His smell permeated into the air, a musky tangy smell that Hinata had come to love. 

"What's up, fireball?" 

Hinata didn't bother hiding his frustration, choosing to change the topic instead. 

"We'll talk later. Where's Kenma?" 

"My kitten's right here." With his other hand, Kuroo pulled Kenma out from behind him, blonde head bent over his phone as he typed something furiously. Hinata huffed, exasperated at his phone addiction and plucked the device out of his hands, sliding it into his pocket. 

"No you don't, not tonight. Tonight, you lavish me with attention, and tell me I'm your best friend and love me an-" 

"Shou, I was texting my mom." 

Hinata quietly pulled the phone out and handed it back to Kenma who smirked at him. Kuroo was soo used to their antics, opting to just subconsciously play with Kenma's hair as he looked around the bar, taking in its beauty. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Kageyama hide a chuckle and his ears burned with embarrassment- he heard that? 

Hinata cleared his throat and took a sip of his drink, enjoying its balanced flavors. Kageyama was a very skilled bartender, that was for sure. Not only was he efficient and confident, he seemed experienced and was receiving praise from every patron sitting at the bar. 

Kuroo suddenly raised his hand, trying to catch Kageyama's attention. He seemed to frown slightly at Kuroo, and Hinata could've sworn his eyes wondered over to the arm he still had over Hinata's shoulder, but it was such a fleeting glance, Hinata was sure he imagined it. 

"Yo Kageyama. Could I get a beer and a lime soda, sweet?" 

"Kenma, you aren't drinking?" Hinata asked, stirring his drink. 

"Nope, I've got work tomorrow. And it's the morning shift too. Last time I allowed you guys to take me drinking..." He shuddered at the memory, and Hinata chuckled. Ah, good times. 

Kageyama was taking care of their order, his skill meticulous and admirable. Hinata had to make a conscious effort not to stare at the raven-head. Kuroo and Kenma made that easier, but not impossible. He stole a few glances anyway. 

He hated that he liked what he saw. _Very much_. 

~~~~~~~

"Kageyama, you really are good at making drinks!" Kuroo's voice cheered, a ridiculously bright smile on his face. Kenma sighed, rolling his eyes before taking a sip of his own non-alcoholic concoction. Hinata was nursing his second drink, and he had to agree. 

Kageyama smiled tightly and bowed. "Thank you." 

It had been an hour since the group had arrived. Kenma, Kuroo and Hinata had decided to stay at the bar, mainly for Hinata's sake. Kenma had taken all of 2 minutes to deduce that Hinata had a crush and decided to indulge him. 

This was precisely why he loved the man so much.

Unfortunately though, Kageyama had moved to the other end of the bar and the other bartender had taken his place, a woman so beautiful a few of Hinata's brain cells had spontaneously combusted. 

"Hinata!" A female voice called for him, another familiar tone that put a small smile on his face.

"Yachi! You made it! What's up?" Yachi bent down to kiss his cheek before sitting next to him and looking at the drinks menu. Deciding on something, she looked up to find the bartender and froze. Hinata was about to ask her what was wrong when he noticed the furious blush on her face and knew _immediately_ that Yachi had developed a crush. 

Wow did they have similar tastes, crushing on bartenders at the same bar. Hinata sniggered before ordering for her.

"I know we have a lot in common, but this is ridiculous!" 

Yachi looked at him, still flushed but also confused. "I'm sorry, what?" 

Hinata shook his head. "Na nothing, so how was the rest of your da-" 

"KUROO??!?" 

The loud excited voice made everyone in the bar flinch, and Hinata's entire group turned to see who had called out to Kuroo in such an absurd manner- 

Only to come face to face with a man that had spiky white hair, eyes that were comically wide and sparkled slightly, and a giant overexcited smile. 

"Bokuto?" Kuroo's voice sounded incredulous, laced with a bit of disbelief. 

The man, Bokuto, lurched forward and engulfed Kuroo in a hug, laughing and almost jumping. It took Hinata a minute to notice that a man had accompanied Bokuto, and he currently looked very distressed. 

"Holy shit man, how have you been? You don't look like shit, I'm surprised!" 

"You don't look like batshit either! Yay! So what are you doing now? How's life? How..." The two began engaging each other in an animated conversation and Hinata watched, fascinated. The uncomfortable man approached them and bowed slightly.

"Hello, my name is Akaashi and I'm a friend-" "BOYFRIEND!" "-of Bokuto's. Excuse me." 

The man, Akaashi, turned around and promptly punched Bokuto in the arm. "Shut up." 

The scene had suddenly turned so lively- a girl in love, a man with as much energy as Hinata and a man as mysterious as an owl. 

This was interesting indeed. 

~~~~~~~~ 

In no time at all, two more hours had flown by. Even with a more mature crowd, the bar's atmosphere had livened up considerably, the chats louder but not noisy, animated even. Hinata's group was by far the weirdest, and Iwaizumi and the others had joined them at the bar. Even Nishinoya found as many excuses as possible to linger around their table, contributing to the fun and fitting right in. Oikawa would wander around, eyeing Iwaizumi before swooping in and chatting with him. He tried flirting but that was clearly not working, Iwaizumi being thicker than a rhinos skin. Finally, Hinata pulled the man away, wanting to give him some friendly advice. Maybe it was the alcohol that made him do it, but he also wanted Oikawa to succeed. He liked him, somehow realising he was good for Iwaizumi. 

"Oikawa-San, Haji is really dumb when it comes to love and shit. You need to tell him straight out. But instead of that, why not start off as friends? Figure out what you have in common, get under his skin and eventually in his heart hmm? He's bisexual, you have a good chance. Don't blow it." 

Oikawa flushed but thanked him profusely. Before he could leave however, Oikawa held him back. 

"I could say the same about Kageyama, except you both are incredibly stubborn so I don't know how that will pan out. Just, one thing you should know." Oikawa chewed on his lip, trying to figure out whether he should tell Hinata.

"Look it isn't my place to tell, but Kageyama's sexuality is.... unique. Just ask him how he feels before doing anything stupid ok?" 

Hinata nodded but was barely listening. He was buzzed, with a good amount of alcohol in him and barely any food. It was delicious but he wanted sake, not food. 

He walked over to the bar and somehow decided he needed more alcohol. 'Get lucky' by daft punk was playing in the background, setting a nice mood, perfect for drinking. 

~~~~~~ 

Hinata was shit faced and he knew it. He was squealing as much as Bokuto, and he had an inkling their conversation made _NO_ sense, mainly consisting of _gwaaah_ 's and _poow_ 's. Everyone was laughing at their stupid antics, even Haji looked amused.

Looking over to the bar, Hinata realised that Kageyama was nowhere in sight and decided to look for him. He stumbled over to Oikawa. 

"Oikawa-San, where is Tobio-chan?" 

Oikawa was slightly buzzed himself, not even close to Hinata but still in a generous mood. Pulling out a key card, he handed it over to Hinata, and pushed him in a general direction away from the crowd. 

"There's a back room for employees only. He's taking his break there. Go check on him." 

Hinata nodded vigorously and stumbled across the bar, hunting down the door. He found it soon enough, and unlocked it. 

It was dimly lit but Kageyama's silhouette was clearly visible. Hinata wobbled over to him. 

Kageyama started when he felt a hand touch his bicep but the scent and size of the person told him all he needed to know. 

"Hinata boka, what're you doing here? I am no-" 

He was yanked down suddenly and a pair of lips planted themselves firmly on his. 

In retrospect, Hinata realised, that was the _WORST_ possible thing he could've done that entire evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to explore demisexuality in the next chapter. Guys if you've got any pointers, feel free to share! Id love to hear from you! :3


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never consumed alcohol, so I'm not sure what a hangover feels like but I'm assuming its monumentally shitty? Anyway, enjoy!

A throbbing headache and a disgusting taste in his mouth was what greeted Hinata the second he woke up, an extremely unpleasant way to start the day. He was vaguely aware of the fact that it was Saturday, and the shop opened a little later and stayed open late into the night, allowing him to laze around and drown himself in his pity party. He groaned and rolled around, the familiar feeling of his blanket wrapped around him like a burrito comforting him slightly.

His memories of the previous night were hazy and vague at best, and everything after his fifth drink was a blur. Patting his bed, he searched around for a minute before locating his phone on the night stand and brought it to him below his blanket cocoon. The screens brightness was at its regular setting but at the moment, Hinata was too sensitive and he groaned again as the light blinded him momentarily, slamming the device into the sheets and waiting for a few minutes before deeming himself ready.

It was 9:13 in the morning, and he had to be in for work at 10:30. He sighed in relief and began looking through the surprisingly large number of notifications.

He had a missed call and a text from Oikawa-san it seemed.

_'U still hve the key card to the bck room, drop it by 2night pls.'_

Key card? Hinata racked his brain, trying to figure out when he had taken a key card and why he wanted it in the first place. Nothing stood out and came to mind, baffling him but thinking hurt his brain and he decided the best thing to do was to shut it down, which was easy enough. Not that he'd ever admit it but he was never very good at using his intellect, so an inborn artistic talent was almost like a god's send for him. His athletic abilities were commendable he knew, if only he had a better team in high school.....

As he scrolled through the messages, he saw he had one from Sugawara-san and it confused him. He didn't remember giving the man his phone number, not that he minded though. The man was an angel for sure, his mother hen tendencies putting Hinata at ease around him. 

' _Hope you're doing ok with the injury, put some ice on it when you wake up.'_

Now Hinata was concerned. He was injured? A quick moving of all his limbs told him he was not hurt anywhere on the lower half of his body, and the only pain he could feel was in his head. As he pulled his hand up to touch his forehead, his finger brushed against his cheek and made him flinch, the gentle touch causing him immediate pain. A slightly harder touch confirmed that he was indeed hurt, and badly too, the touch making him yelp. 

Hinata slowly unraveled himself from the safety of his blanket burrito and thanked Hajime with all his might for keeping the curtains drawn and a glass of water with a pill next to his bed. He only just realized how thirsty he was, and quickly drank up every last drop, quenching his thirst for the time being. He remembered why he got up in the first place and stumbled over to the mirror and gaped at his own reflection, his expression shifting from shock to confusion to pain when he touched the very visible bruise on his left cheek. 

It was swollen and an angry shade of purple already, and he looked like he was in some kind of street fight. The rest of his face looked and felt fine though. It upset him greatly that he still couldn't recall how or why he was punched, and a gut feeling told him it was important and that he knew who the person was. 

Sighing to himself, Hinata walked over to the washroom, wanting to get rid of that awful taste and a hot shower sounded like heaven. He could leave the reminiscing for later, it probably wasn't all that important anyway.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

"Yachi...."

Yachi looked at him sympathetically but with a mischievous glint in her eyes. As always, she was a careful drinker, and had no hangover and looked like a flower or as Hinata put it, like herself. The girl was just happiness personified, her gentle nature and ways a sharp contrast to her bold piercings. Hinata loved the contrast. He placed his face on her desk, and flinched when his left side made contact with the surface, opting to lean against the surface the other way. 

Hajime was unable to shed any light on why Hinata was bruised, and upon texting every person in his contacts that was there yesterday, the people that replied were as clueless as him, but worried. He didn't have Kageyama's number yet and decided to ask him for it while returning the key card to the back and maybe then inquiring if he knew why Hinata was punched. Maybe Kageyama was the one that punched him. 

He scoffed at the possibility when suddenly he remembered a dark room, and a silhouette, one that looked far too much like Kageyama. Clutching his head, Hinata groaned as he tried to force his brain into remembering more but the image was barely there and now it was gone. It was frustrating, having something on your finger tips and then feeling it slip away. 

"Hinata, wanna take the day off?"

"Are you crazy? Saturday's are the busiest, and my next client should be here any minute. Plus, both Kuroo and Tsuki are swamped, we'll be completely understaffed."

"Just don't mess up ok?"

"You know I would never."

Yachi smiled at him gently before going back to adjusting appointments and schedules before Hinata remembered another aspect of the evening. He smiled deviously and watched Yachi visibly tense at his suggestive smile. 

"So that bartender, the woman- what was her name? Kiyoko? was pretty hot, huh?"

Hinata was immensely pleased to see Yachi turn the most adorable shade of red and cover herself as she overheated all too soon. 

"S-s-she was o-ok...."

"Please, you look this close to spontaneously combusting, calm down."

Yachi shook her head, still majorly embarrassed but a rather endearing smile graced her delicate features. "She was really nice Hinata, so gentle and kind and just pretty. She handled all the guests so well and we spoke quite a bit. I think... I think I like her. A lot." She suddenly turned to look at Hinata, her shy smile transforming into a cheeky one. 

"The other bartender wasn't half bad, Kageyama-kun looked really nice in his outfit, don't you think?"

It was Yachi's turn to laugh as Hinata spluttered and turned a similar shade of red before burying his face in his arms, ignoring the ache near his cheek. 

"He was fine." his voice was muffled by his hands but Yachi heard him just fine and giggled. 

"You don't even have to look at me for me to realize just how red you've become, Hinata- _kun."_

Hinata groaned as Yachi continued to chuckle, the sound making him smile as well. He couldn't deny how amazing Kageyama looked in those particular set of clothes, and how turned on he'd been when he saw the guy's professional side. Not that he'd tell Kageyama or Yachi or anyone ever, for that matter. 

"Now that I think about it," Yachi mused, "Kiyoko-san did tell me somethings about Kageyama that were quite interesting."

Hinata looked up and his eyebrows flew up, clearly intrigued. "Yeah? Like what?"

"Well," Yachi muttered, "apparently he's very picky about partners and quite private about anything to do with his personal life. His situation is quite similar to yours I think, he emancipated himself from his family the minute he turned 18 and Oikawa-san took him in. His Haji is Oikawa-san, isn't that sweet?"

"Yeah..." Hinata muttered but something was nagging at him now. He was starting to think Kageyama had a lot to do with his punch and his gut was telling him it was his own fault. "How does he swing though?"

"Eh? Oh that... I think Kiyoko-san said something about a girlfriend and a boyfriend so maybe both? Wait, she used a very specific term." Yachi scratched her head as she tried to remember and with every passing moment Hinata felt worse. Something felt very off, and it was irritating and scaring him. Something was very very wrong. 

"Oh yeah!" Yachi said excitedly, snapping her fingers. "She said he was strictly demi-sexual, which was why he chose partners very carefully! That makes sens- Hinata? You okay?"

Hinata's face had morphed into one filled with horror, and he didn't even turn around to greet the client that had just walked in, his mind too occupied.

He remembered. He remembered everything.

Oh god, what had he  _done?_

 _\---------------------_ \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The second he was done with his last client of the day, Hinata ran out of the store, not bothering to grace Yachi's "Hinata where are you going?" with a reply. 

Kageyama. He had to find him and he had to find him  _now._

He ran right past everyone else in line and Aone, who simply greeted him with a stiff nod and found himself in front of a confused Suga-san. 

"Hinata? How you feeling? Is everyth-"

"Is Kageyama in?" He had to find him and Suga-san must've sensed his urgency. He nodded.

"He's in the back getting ready. Kiyoko just finished her shift and he's about to begin his."

Hinata was already running towards the back and threw a "Thanks" over his shoulder. He reached his destination in no time and stood there panting, whether from the exertion or the nervousness he didn't know. Before he could chicken out, he pulled out the key card and unlocked the door, stumbling in. 

Kageyama had his back to him and began turning as he spoke. 

"Oikawa-san I said I'm co-" He stopped mid sentence the moment his eyes met Hinata's and froze, his entire body entering a rather defensive stance. Hinata's stomach fell because this reaction was proof that everything he remembered about last night was true and it was beyond mortifying. 

Kageyama opened his mouth, presumably to yell at Hinata but Hinata bowed as low as he could at the waist before yelling out, drowning Kageyama's voice.

"I AM SO SORRY." His voice was almost trembling and he felt so guilt stricken, Kageyama's reaction hurting him more than he let on. He looked up slowly and felt his heart lurch at the fact that Kageyama still looked defensive, and wasn't letting his guard down, his eyes dark and cold. 

"I am so so sorry Kageyama. I... I fucked up so bad and I know apologizing is not going to fix it and you already hit me once," he gently touched his cheek and winced but continued, "but do it again if you have to. What I did was very wrong and a violation of your personal space. Me being piss drunk is no excuse so I'm not going to use it. Blame me, hit me, whatever it is, just please know... I am so sorry. And it's not just because you're demi that I'm apologizing, what I did was wrong anyway. I know you don't like me, but I like you and I forced myself on you and god I feel sick and I'm sorry a-" He was rambling now but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He tensed and waited for a blow but it never came. Hesitantly, he looked up and was surprised by the small blush on Kageyama's face. 

"Hinata boke, calm down." 

Hinata took in a deep breathe and felt calmer, more collected. He kept his gaze focused on Kageyama, who continued, albeit hesitantly.

"What you did upset me a lot, and that's precisely why I punched you. But you.... you understood and came back and apologized. I'm still mad as hell but.... I forgive you. Maybe."

Hinata felt relieved, a smile dancing on his lips. Kageyama spoke again, interrupting his mini celebration. 

"Did you mean it by the way?"

Hinata cocked his head. "Mean what?"

"What you said?"

"Said about what?"

"That you liked me!" Kageyama was definitely blushing now and Hinata loved how adorable he looked. He couldn't say anything however, because he was a 100% sure he was the same colour. 

"Yeah, I was serious. I mean I hate you, but I also... like you? Gwahhhhh! I don't know this is so confusing!"

Kageyama looked exasperated, Hinata felt so. 

"Look I wanna date you but I'm pretty sure you don't feel that way and  that's cool (it really wasn't) but I want us to at least be friends and only hate each other for no apparent reason so can we do that?"

Kageyama looked uncomfortable and Hinata wanted to leave. 

"Who said that?"

"Said what?"

"That I didn't like you?"

"Huh? No one, I'm just assuming-"

"Well you assumed wrong!"

And they were back to being cherries, Kageyama practically steaming out of his ears. 

"Ummm...." The silence bothered Hinata, it was beyond awkward. 

"Look, you're.... you.... you are a dumbass."

"HEY"

"Let me finish. You're a dumbass and an idiot and you mess up my pace and I was so sure I didn't like you but I maybe kinda do too but I just... you're so different! I don't know how to handle you!"

Hinata stayed silent for a minute before reaching a decision that he himself believed was brilliant. 

"How about we make a deal?" He reached for Kageyama's hand hesitantly and slowly grabbed it. Immediately the man tensed but Hinata persevered. 

"We start dating, but that's just a loose term for us getting to know each other, as people and as friends. We take this one step at a time. Dates, meals, talking about what we like and dislike, everything. I'll tell you and you tell me. We'll do that, and you are in charge of everything....physical about this relationship."

"Huh?"

"You kiss me when you're ready, or whatever else. I won't initiate until you give me the go ahead because I'm ok with you doing anything this very minute." Kageyama looked mildly disgusted and Hinata laughed. "It's been a while, don't judge. And you look real good in your bar clothes."

Kageyama blushed again but nodded. 

"Ok. Ok I mean I guess its worth a shot right?"

Hinata nodded, a bright smile on his face. This had gone so much better than he'd anticipated and while he knew they were off to a weird start and that he'd have to be extremely patient, the thought of waiting for Kageyama sat well with him and he found that he couldn't be upset in the least. And the fact that Kageyama had lightly squeezed his hand before letting go made him giddy with excitement. 

"Oh by the way, what's your number?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note- I have a bout of exams coming up which means that I wont be updating for about two weeks. Thought I should inform you all in advance! 
> 
> Kudos and comments appreciated, thanks for reading! :3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So every time I took a break from studying, I'd write a little, and before I knew it the next chapter was done! 
> 
> Also, Bokuto and Akaashi own a gelato shop, Hinata is too excited and Kageyama tries too hard not to smile. 
> 
> Enjoy!

One week later 

Hinata couldn't calm down no matter what he did, couldn't seem to wipe off the grin that had made itself at home on his lips, courtesy of the events that had occurred the previous night. 

Ever since they had exchanged phone numbers, Kageyama and he had been texting back and forth quite often, greeting each other every morning, and wishing each other goodnight. Granted it wasn't particularly lovey dovey, the messages usually looked something like- 'Goodnight dumbass' and 'mornin bakageyama!!!' but Hinata was strangely ok with that. He even found it slightly endearing, how they always had to fight and insult each other, but there was this sense of comfort in talking to him, even if it was in the form of texts and the occasional phone call. He had found out soon enough that Kageyama was by far the biggest tsundere he had ever met. 

There was no heat in their insults, it had just become their default way of communication. They spoke about nothing and everything and just got to know each other. Sometimes it felt like they were interviewing each other, how they asked each other questions that were mundane or generic even. But Hinata loved that, loved getting to know him as a person. He was interesting, and surprisingly adorable at times (though he knew telling him would be a BAD idea)

After the whole 'incident' however, Hinata was very cautious about anything to do with physical or sexual intimacy, steering clear of the subject. He wasn't one to be passive in any relationship, he loved leading and being lead, but this was the one relationship where he decided to hand over the reins to the other partner completely. Their bond had grown much stronger, and yet it was still fragile, and being an artist, Hinata knew the difficulty of threading around something fragile. He was an impatient person though, and instant gratification was more up his alley, so when Kageyama finally asked him out, Hinata had to stop himself from squealing that very moment. He did it later though. 

"So," Kageyama's voice had sounded gruff, a hint of nervousness in the otherwise confident tone. "Are you busy tomorrow?" 

"Tomorrow? Not really. It's Monday, probably our least busy day and we close by like 4:00 in the evening."

"Go out with me!" Kageyama had blurted out, and Hinata could feel him steam across the phone. He had to bite into his hand to keep himself from laughing, and once he was sure his voice wouldn't give him away, he spoke again. 

"Aren't we going out already, Kageyama-kun?" He practically purred out the last bit, his voice filled with amusement and his tone teasing. 

"Dumbass, go out on a date with me!" Kageyama yelled and Hinata got a bit mad. 

"How on earth do you think it's appropriate to insult someone and ask them out in the same damn sentence? Are you stupid? No wait, I know you are, never mind." 

"Dumbass!" 

"Baka." 

"Idiot."

"Sc-" he had stopped himself just in time, knowing 'Scary face' was an insult that Kageyama took personally and changed his insult in a heart beat. 

"Stupid!" 

"Ok fine we won't go out!!" 

"Fine." 

"Fine." 

"FINE." 

They were both breathing heavily, and the anger dissipated as easily as it had arrived, leaving an awkward atmosphere in its wake. Neither of them were willing to put down the phone though, a good sign in Hinata's opinion. 

"So," Kageyama's voice had croaked through the phone, "should I pick you up at 4:30 tomorrow in front of the shop?" 

"Yeah, that sounds good." 

"Ok I'll see you then." 

"Yeah, cool. Gotta go, see ya!" 

The moment he kept the phone, it finally hit him that he and Kageyama were going out on a date and he was not ashamed to admit that he jumped onto his bed and danced around for a bit, giddy, nervous excitement coursing through his veins. He had to admit though, that was by far the strangest way he had ever been asked out. 

He was still feeling that high, and the closer it got to 4:30 (it was currently 3:09) the more excited he felt. He was bent over a sketch pad, drawing out a cat when his human-cat decided to pay him a visit, looming over him. 

"Oye fireball, what the hell has gotten you so excited? Are you gonna go home and toast marshmallows over a candle tonight or something?" 

Hinata looked up and frowned at Kuroo, who was wearing his trademark smirk but the gentleness in his eyes told Hinata he was genuinely curious. It irked Hinata, how perceptive the man was and how he picked up on Hinata's mood in an instant. It was handy more often than not, but his ability to do so had only gotten better over the years, and as convenient as it was, it made Hinata feel like he was an open book, vulnerable and exposed. He also didn't appreciate Kuroo making fun of him for being close to as excited when he had roasted marshmallows over a flame a few years ago in college. In his defence, he'd never been camping and it always looked like so much fun. 

"Go away, Kuroo." 

"No can do, my little shrimp. You are practically shitting rainbows and sunshine, let me in on the good news. You even dressed nice, do you have any idea how rare that is?"

Hinata sighed, knowing he couldn't keep it from one of his closest friends. He'd only told Hajime and Natsu so far, and it was only a matter of time before everyone in the shop got involved as well. Sometimes he felt like his other halves had to date not just him, but an entire group of weirdos. Maybe that's why they never stuck around for too long?

"I have a date today." 

"Oya oya?" Hinata rolled his eyes as Kuroo stroked his imaginary beard, his eyes shining dangerously. 

"XX or XY?" 

"XY." Given Hinata's pansexuality, he had dated and gone out with about the same number of males and females, and he and Kuroo discussed the gender of his dates via their chromosomes. It had started off as a random joke or pun, Hinata wasn't too sure, but it somehow stuck around, and was now a tradition. Hinata would never admit he liked it. 

"Ohohoho. It's been a while since you went out in a date right? Especially with a boy." 

"Stop laughing like that, it creeps me out just as much as it irritates Kenma. Also, you're being an ass, I think you finished your quota for the day. Can you like, do it over there?" Hinata pointed in a random direction, pouting. Kuroo's smirk morphed into a genuine smile, and it caught Hinata off guard. 

"Hey fireball, I don't wanna kill your buzz. Besides you look way too excited. It's high time you went out you know, you need to get laid!" 

Images of Kageyama hovering over him, whispering naughty things into his ear and of him straddling the Raven-head suddenly invaded Hinata's head and he turned a brilliant shade of red, completely flustered all of a sudden. This attraction he felt towards him, sexually and otherwise was ridiculous.

"Wh-what are you saying? Stop being a dumdum and go away." 

Of course Kuroo knew Hinata was thinking not-so-innocent things, of course he sensed his discomfort and OF COURSE he had to be an ass about it. 

"I wouldn't advice popping a boner in the middle of the day in your shop while you're still working, how unethical can you get?" 

Hinata threw his pencil at him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone had packed up and left by 4:25. Hinata locked up behind him and hummed, trying not to bounce in place as thoughts of Kageyama flooded his mind. He didn't know what he had planned, but whatever it was, he was happy as long as he could spend time with the Raven-head. He didn't think of it as a date as much as an outing anymore, no matter how much the former idea appealed to him. They were taking things slow, and Hinata was going to respect and enjoy it. 

Kageyama walked out of the bar about 2 minutes later and Hinata flashed him his brightest smile, devoid of any kind of insincerity. He was genuinely pleased to see him, and Kageyama's blush was about the cutest thing he'd seen all day. 

"So, what are we doing today?" 

Kageyama began walking and Hinata jogged to catch up with him, the Raven head humming in acknowledgement.

"There's a new gelato place a few blocks away, wanna go?" 

Hinata whooped and jumped ridiculously high, suddenly a lot more excited than he already was. He was always in the mood for ice cream, and he kinda liked gelato better. Kageyama seemed bewildered at his reaction but an amused smile worked its way to his lips before he realised what he was doing and bit it back. It was too late though, Hinata had caught the smile and felt his heart skip a few too many beats. 

"Calm down dumbass." 

"But it's gelato, it's like the best thing mankind ever created." 

"I don't disagree but you're acting like a dog going for its first walk you know." 

"You are a mean human being." 

"At least I'm not a dog." 

"Argh! Infuriating.... Creature." 

"Oohhh big words there Hinata, be careful, you might be coming down with a fever." 

"YOU!!" Hinata suddenly jumped on his back and began hitting him playfully, and Kageyama laughed as they stumbled towards the gelato place, arguing and wrestling the whole time. 

His heart throbbed. 

'Baby steps, baby steps,' He chanted, over and over again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

"HEY HEY HEY!" 

The moment they entered the shop, a very familiar white haired man greeted them with an over enthusiastic voice, and the dark haired man behind him sighed, a small smile very faintly visible on his lips. 

"Bokuto-san?" Kageyama sounded slightly surprised but pleasantly so. Bokuto practically beamed at him, and Akaashi simply nodded in greeting. 

"Oh Kageyama, what's up? And Hinata! How you been?" 

Hinata remembered just how much he liked Bokuto-San, and it was good to know he liked him sober as well. His voice, his actions, his enthusiasm was over the top but extremely cheerful, and Hinata couldn't stop smiling around him. 

"Bokuto-san! I didn't know you owned a gelato place!" 

"Well, we only opened about a week ago, so yeah, we're relatively new to the area but business has been good so far! Wait, you guys didn't come here for us?" Bokuto feigned horror, Akaashi simply rolled his eyes. 

"No actually," Kageyama sounded embarrassed, "Oikawa-San told me to come here, said he had heard good things about it. Must've purposely kept me in the dark about the owners though. I don't understand why?" 

"Ah you know Oikawa, always pulling shit like that. Don't mind, don't mind," Bokuto boomed. The other customers didn't seem bothered by his loud voice; on the contrary they must've viewed it as a source of entertainment, if their smiles were anything to go by. 

"Now then," Bokuto smiled, his teeth a near blinding white, "what can I get for you two? Order what you like, it's on the house!" 

Kageyama had expected that but apparently Hinata hadn't. His eyes lit up and he smiled toothily at the man across the counter, beginning to jump ridiculously high again. 

"Seriously? That's so cool, thank you Bokuto-San, you're so awesome!"

Kageyama deduced that Bokuto San wasn't used to being complimented so bluntly, because he blushed and stammered before getting a hold of himself and jumping around with Hinata. Kageyama questioned the man's seniority, given that he was acting more childish than Hinata at this point. 

"The flavours at the end are super wacky, I'll give you a sample. Come on!" 

As Hinata and he raced to the other end, Kageyama quietly began looking at the more conventional flavours, chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch. Every thing looked delicious, and he felt his stomach rumble. 

"Would you like to try any of them?" Akaashi asked, a smile gracing his features. Kageyama returned the grin tentatively, and nodded, pointing at the Nutella flavour. Akaashi handed it to him on a tiny plastic spoon, and the small mouthful was enough to make him want much more. 

"It's amusing to see Bokuto-San with someone who has as much energy as him. I never thought another person like that existed, to be honest." 

Kageyama huffed out a laugh in agreement, refusing to acknowledge how cute Hinata looked trying out gelato's with colours that looked super funky. He liked Bokuto very much actually, the man commanding his respect by excelling in things he was passionate about, but he had a different kind of fondness for Akaashi, a man who was quiet but caring, and not fragile or feeble, just well spoken. 

"You like him don't you?" Akaashi's voice was laced with just the tiniest hint of teasing, subtle enough to ignore but it didn't go unnoticed by Kageyama, who blushed slightly but recovered quickly.

"It's too soon to tell." The two of them watched the dynamic duo jump around and mix flavours, Akaashi silently urging Kageyama to continue. 

"I think he's a good guy, it's just... He's so different from the people that I'm used to dealing with and being around, you know? I've realised he doesn't really mess up my pace, more like I'm swept away by his. I don't... It's weird? I don't dislike it, I just don't know how I feel about it. Yet." 

Akaashi was still watching the idiotic duo but he nodded in understanding, not pushing Kageyama to continue, but willing to listen if he decided to share. 

"Akaashi-San?"

"Hmm?" 

"How did you know Bokuto-San was ....... the one?" 

Akaashi stiffened for a second before relaxing. Kageyama knew that the man came from a conservative family (Oikawa was a little too well informed about certain matters) and for the longest time, he had to keep the relationship secret. When he did come out, it was not pretty, and he eventually picked Bokuto over a family that turned its back on him for trying to be true to himself and them. He still had problems openly admitting to their relationship but his love for the white haired man knew no bounds. 

"My answer, I'm afraid won't be of much help to you." He looked over at Kageyama and his smile turned nostalgic, and as the sun filtered in through the windows and gently cascaded over his face, Kageyama couldn't help but think of him as strangely beautiful. "I've known him since high school, and even though I said no over and over again, he never gave up. Being on the same volleyball team as spiker and setter also helped I guess, we had something so important and fun in common. Eventually I gave in, he was too persistent and I was losing my mind. Its not like I didnt like him to begin with, on the contrary my affection for him and his dorkiness grew with every passing day. My hesitation stemmed from the situation at home. I'm sure you know about my family." Kageyama nodded, and Akaashi continued. 

"To this day, I don't regret my decision. Sure we fight and have problems and arguments, but I... I love him so much, and he still makes my heart flutter, still makes me feel like a high schooler." Akaashi looked so content, Kageyama felt his own heart flutter at the tenderness in the man's gaze. 

"There is one down side to dating people like Bokuto-san and Hinata though, an inevitable issue that'll probably haunt you for the rest of your life as well, should your relationship turn into something real and more serious." His voice had turned so grave, and Kageyama felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He sucked in a deep breathe, waiting for Akaashi to finish the sentence with bated breath.

"It is impossible, and I mean IMPOSSIBLE, to keep up with the bastards. They're like dynamite, ready to explode any second. He's happy in the morning Kageyama, I didn't know people were capable of feeling that way at the ass crack of dawn." 

Kageyama laughed at his choice of words and nodded in agreement, but it was so glaringly obvious that the man doted on his partner and Kageyama could see it- could see himself pamper Hinata, shower him with affection and insults. 

He liked the orange ball of energy, whether he cared to admit it or not. Akaashi just gazed at his changing expressions in silent amusement, and suddenly Hinata turned towards them. 

"I'm getting avocado with pomegranate cheesecake and lime."

Kageyama blanched, taking back his words immediately. The flavours sounded so preposterous together, it should've been illegal to even say them in the same sentence. 

Just how and why he had managed to start falling for a person as idiotically endearing as Hinata was a mystery he hoped to never solve. 

"I'll get you two scoops of Nutella in a waffle cone." Akaashi's voice was filled with warmth and a knowing tone, and for once Kageyama didn't mind the implied teasing. 

Nutella and Hinata Shouyou sounded like a wonderful combination. Sexual innuendo not intended. (Ok maybe a little)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was that ok? First time writing the owls, I was really nervous. I love them so much though <3 
> 
> Also, i feel like Kageyama is acknowledging the potential romantic feelings he has for Hinata and it may seem quick, but they kinda clicked from the very beginning, even if they argued the whole time. But he still doesn't find him sexually attractive, the last joke apart. 
> 
> Next chapter will have a slight time skip. :3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got around to updating this! Hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Also, a huge thanks to nairuru for letting me use her image as a reference for Kuroo's outfit. (I've linked it within the chapter) Check out her artblog on tumblr guys, she's freaking amazing! :D 
> 
> Kisses happen

Dating Hinata was a lot more fun than Kageyama had anticipated. In fact, it was so amusing and filled with surprises, he couldn't imagine not spending at least 4 days of the week with the ball of sunshine anymore. Every meet up or date was different, their conversations flowed like water, their differences and similarities wove together in a beautiful, intricate net and all in all, he had become very comfortable with him, as a friend and as something a lot more. 

It had been 5 months since Hinata had kissed him and true to his word, he had not touched Kageyama without his approval since. It was a bittersweet thing to be honest; there were times when he wished Hinata would spontaneously be affectionate with him but he figured this arrangement would be better considering his temperament. 

It was two months after the incident that Kageyama had first held Hinata's hand and wow, was that an embarrassing encounter. 

They had gone to the aquarium, the epitome of all cliche dates but it didn't feel too romantic. Hinata's eyes were the size of saucers as he bounced about from one tank to the next, taking in all the sights and colours. Being an artist, the vibrancy of the place had appealed to him greatly and his enthusiasm rubbed off on Kageyama who had been equally excited. The dolphin show was wonderful, feeding the Penguins was fun, being chased by the Penguins was not, and the shark exhibit scared Hinata plenty, not that he'd admitted it to Kageyama. 

It had become really dark when they had finally decided to leave after grabbing some quick dinner. The road was empty, the streetlights glowing softly, illuminating patches of the road in a warm haze. Hinata chattered away as usual, filling in the silence but the overall mood had become intimate and the two of them walked close to each other to fend of the cold. 

A sudden dead silence shrouded them and Kageyama was confused- Hinata never shut up without a reason. It took him a few moments to realise that he had subconsciously reached out for Hinata's hand and woven his fingers into the smaller ones, holding it firmly, their warmth mingling. 

One look at Hinata's face and Kageyama knew he was a goner. They were standing close to a streetlight and it was so clear that Hinata was fifteen shades of red, and this in turn made Kageyama's own face excessively warm. He briefly considered pulling his hand away but realised he didn't actually want to- he liked the way their hands fit in each other's. 

Sensing his slight hesitation, Hinata had resumed his chatter in a much quieter albeit warmer tone, and had squeezed the digits in his, indicating his desire to not let go. 

They walked home hand in hand and Kageyama felt his heart flutter the entire time. 

After that, they held hands as often as possible, in places which were more inconspicuous so as to not attract too much attention. Hinata initiated it a lot, not that Kageyama was complaining, and he eventually got used to the feel of another hand in his own and soon learned to love and crave the contact. 

Four months into their relationship, Kageyama felt comfortable kissing Hinata but he didn't kiss his lips yet. Kissing was a big step for Kageyama; there was just something so intimate about it and so deeming himself as not ready, he had refused to make out with the orange head. He started with his hands, kissing the palm or the back of it and every time Hinata blushed, a reaction he relished and treasured. He worked his way up to the man's face, placing kisses on his cheeks and forehead, even his nose and the corner of his mouth. Hinata would retaliate in kind by kissing his chin, a part he could actually reach, or his fingers, or sometimes his cheek. These kisses were rare but desired, and Kageyama felt himself wanting to smother the boy with affection.

Recently however, he was beginning to notice Hinata in a very different light as compared to the beginning. Gone were the days he looked at Hinata with innocent, carefree, friendly eyes. 

He slowly began noticing things, things he had completely overlooked. Like how Hinata's ear piercings were actually very attractive and slightly hypnotising, with all the loops, dragons, arrows and studs that he kept changing on a daily bases. How all his tattoos and jewellery stood out because of his creamy, soft pale skin. How his body was small but packed with delectable looking lean muscle, and how his eyes were the reason Kageyama now loved orange. 

And the most embarrassing one- how his lips were starting to look more delicious than the food they went out to eat. 

These thoughts had been plaguing him for about a week now, and he wasn't sure if he should go ahead and just kiss the man. He wasn't being pressured in any way by Hinata, and his patience was much appreciated but Kageyama's apprehension also stemmed from the fact that he was a little unsure of his skill, having not made out with anyone in awhile. 

Finishing up with his preparation for the bar, Kageyama walked to the back room and decided to get ready. He and Hinata had opted to watch movies upstairs in his room till Kageyama had to come down and take over his shift. He had told him he'd pick him up at 4:30 since it was a Monday and decided to wait outside the store. 

Walking out of the bar, Kageyama walked the short distance to the parlour but came to a halt as he noticed a man leaning against the wall of the tattoo store. On further inspection, he realised it was none other than Kuroo. 

It took him a minute to absorb [ Kuroo's ](http://nairuru.tumblr.com/image/135133072951)  
attractiveness, something he hadn't actually considered at all. He and Kuroo hadn't spoken much but he respected his work and treated him as a man senior to himself but he didn't like how touchy he was with Hinata. Long time friends though they may be, Kageyama was an intensely possessive person, and it upset him when people touched that which was his. 

Kuroo was causally leaning against the wall, an air of calmness surrounding his entire being. He wore a simple grey shirt with two green lines slashed across the chest, paired up with an oversized red jacket that had a cream hood. Black well fitted jeans covered his long legs with converse sneakers on his feet and his hair looked exactly as if he had rolled out of bed and done nothing to it. It was messy and spiked and covered his whole right eye- Kageyama had a feeling he did it on purpose. A very attractive looking minty green colour pair of headphones were looped around his neck and Kageyama could hear strains of music coming from it. 

Just as Kageyama decided to walk up to him, Kuroo turned to look him dead in the eye and Kageyama froze, finding it impossible to move, impossible to look away. Kuroo was smiling at him, and it was slightly menacing but Kageyama hoped he was seeing things. 

The man pushed off the wall and approached Kageyama like a predator stalking his prey, but Kageyama's stubborn pride did not allow him to back down one bit, and he stared back defiantly. 

"So," Kuroo drawled, "you guys have a date again tonight, Kageyama-kun?" 

"Yes, we do Kuroo-san." Kageyama said through a forced smile. 

"Ok I can't do this I'm cutting right to the chase." Kuroo muttered and held Kageyama's gaze. "Are you serious about him?" 

"Huh?" Was Kageyama's extremely intelligent reply. 

"I said, are you serious about Hinata? About this relationship, is it going somewhere?" 

"Um.... I'm not sure how it concerns you Kuroo-san." Kageyama muttered. He didn't like people butting into his personal business, much less a man that he barely communicated with beyond the occasional small talk and greeting.

"Hinata has been my best friend for a long time now Kageyama. And I know him like the back of my hand and trust me when I say this, he is pretty crazy about you." Kuroo said, his voice betraying just how serious he was being. 

"Wh-what?" Kageyama stuttered, unable to understand how Kuroo was being so cool about this.

"It's true. He really likes you and it's soon going to approach a point of no return, and before that happens, I need to know if you are serious about him or not because if you hurt him," Kuroo suddenly straightened up and his gaze turned ice cold, "I will not forgive you." 

Kageyama suddenly understood the depth of Kuroo's relationship with Hinata- it was like that of a child and an older sibling. It seemed Kuroo was only looking out for him and it made Kageyama happy that Hinata had people that cared so much for him around him. He sighed softly and looked down, a gentle, small grin playing on his lips.

"I like him. I like him very much Kuroo-san and I think I'm approaching that point of no return as well. If it's ok with Hinata, I'd like to approach it with him." Kageyama looked up and he hoped Kuroo saw the conviction in his eyes and heard it in his voice. 

It seemed to have worked- Kuroo's eyes turned considerably warmer and he smiled back at Kageyama. 

"Well now that that's taken care of, I have to go home and pamper my kitten. It was nice talking to you Kageyama, have a good date." Kuroo said, winking at Kageyama. 

Kageyama watched his retreating figure and smiled slightly. He had a feeling Kuroo had just given them his blessing and surprisingly, it made him happy. 

"Why are you smiling? It's kinda creepy!" Hinata said in his overly loud voice, and Kageyama's gaze dropped to him, taking in his shocked expression and cute outfit. 

When the comment registered moments later, Hinata found himself in a chokehold, and he begged for forgiveness, not like he needed it anyway. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"What are we watching?" Hinata inquired from the couch, watching Kageyama ruffle through his generous dvd collection. This was the first time he had visited his home, let alone his room and he was impressed to say the least.

The room was spacious and very sleek, the decorations left to a bare minimum. A large queen size bed lay in the middle of the room, the TV placed right in front of it. A door to the left led to the washroom, the cupboards and a desk occupying an entire wall, while one wall was filled with rows and rows of empty alcohol bottles. The overall effect was soothing on the eyes and Hinata hoped this wasn't his last time in Kageyama's room.

"How about we marathon saw? Nishinoya-san keeps telling me about it but I've never actually gotten around to watching it." 

Hinata froze immediately, his blood chilling just the slightest. He had heard of saw or more specifically, he had heard of just how gruesome and frightening saw was. Horror was not his cup of tea at all, but he would rather risk multiple nights of nightmares than admit this to Kageyama. 

"Sure, saw sounds awesome," Hinata mumbled, and Kageyama hummed in agreement. Even to his own ears he sounded weak but he hoped and prayed Kageyama didn't catch it. 

It didn't matter how hot Kageyama was or how much he liked him, at the end of the day everything between them had to be a competition. That's just how they worked. 

Kageyama crawled into the bed beside Hinata and tucked him under his arm, holding him close. Hinata pushed into him and sighed, steeling his heart and mind. 

Maybe it wouldn't be so terrible if Kageyama was snuggling him throughout.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It was terrible. 

The blood and guts were so realistic, the screams of horror inflicted terror in Hinata's own heart and more than once he felt the urge to puke everything he had eaten all day.

Kageyama's grip on him was still firm and he pressed his face into the man's shoulder, hoping to block out most of the horror. He knew the nightmares would make an appearance that night, and he was a 100% sure he would either be crawling into Natsu's or Hajime's bed, mostly Natsu's because apparently Oikawa had finally scored a date with Iwaizumi and god knows what that would lead to. 

"Hinata?" Kageyama's voice, so close to his ear snapped him out of his train of thought and he looked up immediately, wanting to tell Kageyama he was going to be fine, but any and all words he had wanted to say remained unspoken.

Kageyama's face was inches away from his own, so close that he could count his eyelashes, could feel his warm breath tickle his face, could smell the shampoo in his hair. His heart clenched at the sight of Kageyama, and he had to fight the urge to kiss him so hard it hurt. 

He closed his eyes and decided to just breathe for a second, trying to collect his thoughts, to calm down enough so that he could speak without stuttering. His heart was hammering but no longer out of fear, his cheeks warm and his fists clenched in Kageyama's shirt. 

'Ok I can do this, I can lean back a bit and tell him I'm fine an-' 

The feeling of a soft pair of lips against his own pretty much fried all of Hinata's remaining brain cells and he automatically clenched Kageyama's shirt harder, gently pushing into the kiss. It was so chaste, the perfect 'first' kiss, and Hinata's heart felt like it would leap out of his chest and whip out some salsa moves. 

Pulling back moments later, Hinata slowly opened his eyes and gazed into Kageyama's considerably darker blue ones, breathing slightly hard. 

Kageyama's eyes were soft and a smile (not the creepy one) adorned his face. Hinata leaned in again but only half way, still giving Kageyama the room to decline. It appeared he had no intention to do so, simply leaning back in and kissing the orange head sweetly. 

They made out to the sound of people being gutted and screams of terror ringing everywhere but hey, when did they ever do anything the conventional way?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah I hope this wasn't too rushed. The next chapter is going to be pointless and extremely cutesy and (hopefully) funny, starring Oikawa. :') 
> 
> Until then, thanks for reading. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are love.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is heavily influenced by the song Money for nothing- dire straits. Please give it a listen! :D 
> 
> Enjoy ~~

It was a rare day off for the employees of Murder so everyone had unanimously decided to rendezvous at 'The Kings court'- or rather, everyone except Tsukishima had wanted to go, but they forced him to come anyway because they knew deep down (like really deep down) he wanted to be there but his little tsundere heart would never be able to say yes without a fight. Plus, he was always more compliant when they invited Yamaguchi as well, which they made sure to mention repeatedly. 

They had met up in front of Murder and had planned to trek the short distance together, deciding to stay until opening time like they usually did whenever they decided to visit the bar. They really had become regulars there, and it was a good feeling knowing the owner liked having them around. 

Hinata had been the first to arrive, followed by Yachi. She looked incredibly cute in a sky blue sundress that complimented her flawless cream coloured skin and light blonde tresses. Like Hinata, her ears were filled with piercings and she had decided to wear silver pieces that day, tiny hoops, studs and the like. Her nose piercing was small but impressionable and unless she showed you, you'd miss the gorgeous piercing on her tongue. 

Of course, Yachi did have some piercings that would always remain inaccessible to Hinata but he didn't feel any inclination to actually see them. He left those purely for the viewing pleasure of her future partners. 

As they waited, Kuroo and Kenma joined them, finally followed by a sulky Tsukishima and a very excited Yamaguchi. After greeting each other they made their way to the bar, greeting Aone like an old friend who simply nodded back. He was used to all of them and Yachi didn't even shudder in fear when he was around anymore. 

Inside the bar, they spotted the group and the first person Hinata noticed was Sugawara, standing next to the chef and his boyfriend Daichi. Hinata and the rest had finally, over the course of the past few months been introduced to Asahi and Daichi, two extremely kind gentlemen. Asahi was dating Nishinoya and they made one of the cutest couples Hinata had ever come across. Sugawara-san's smile became even more radiant when Daichi was around and Hinata had to acknowledge both Asahi and Daichi on their immense cooking skills as he was yet to be displeased by their food in any way. 

"Oh hey guys!," Sugawara's voice rang out softly, a cute smile playing on his lips. As the rest of the gang greeted him, Hinata began feeling slightly restless and glanced around the bar, trying to gauge where his boyfriend was. He spotted him moments later, wiping glasses and keeping them away carefully, wearing a black apron over casual clothes.

Hinata made his way over to the Raven-head and stood right across the bar from him, beaming. When Kageyama finally looked up and saw his dazzling smile, he automatically became extremely flustered, a reaction of his that never ceased to amuse Hinata.

"Hinata! Dumbass, don't just stand there and smile, announce your arrival, jeez," he scolded, trying to hide his blush behind his palm. 

Hinata stuck his tongue out like the mature adult he was before grinning at the man before him. 

"Can I help Kageyama?," he asked, looking at the last few glasses that needed drying. 

"Nah I'm almost done. Take a seat, I'll get you something to drink." 

Just as Hinata sat down, Oikawa came bustling into the room, smiling so hard his face looked like it was on the verge of tearing. Greeting everyone brusquely, he made his way to where Kageyama and Hinata were, greeting Hinata before turning to Kageyama. 

"Tobio-chan! I want 3 shots of tequila stat." 

"Oikawa-san," Kageyama huffed, trying to be patient, "it is way too early for you to be drinking something that'll hit you hard." 

"But Tobio-chan! I have to celebrate- in fact we all have to!" 

"Why?," Kageyama muttered, quirking an eyebrow. 

"I'll tell you why. In fact I'll tell you all why." Oikawa turned around to face everyone in the room, and yelled, "everyone come here for a minute please!" 

Moments later, the entire gang had formed a semi circle around Hinata's chair, and were looking at Oikawa expectantly, curiosity eating at them. 

"Well I just checked online, and trust me, I made sure to double check and guess what?," he said, his voice bubbling with excitement, "The Kings court has been voted as one of the top 3 bars in the entire city! In under a year!" 

Loud catcalls and cheering filled the air and Hinata gladly joined in, extremely happy for their success. It made sense though- the bar really was spectacular and the owner, charismatic. 

"And that's why my dearest Tobio-chan," Oikawa crowed in a singsong voice, "we need to celebrate and I need tequila." 

Kageyama was still smiling and for once didn't seem to try and stop himself from doing so. He did roll his eyes at Oikawa but did it fondly, and turned around to hunt down the tequila bottle, some limes, the salt and the shot glasses. 

"I'll allow you to celebrate but only a bit, it's a working day Oikawa-san." 

Oikawa pouted adorably but did the smart thing and stayed quiet. Hinata simply asked for a beer and everyone placed their own orders. The bar buzzed with a new found happy energy and Hinata knew it was going to be a good day.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Oikawa wasn't drunk but he certainly was slightly tipsy. He could hold down his liquor incredibly well, and after 6 shots of tequila, he wasn't slurring or falling, just seemed a little more loose than usual. 

The bar was filled with the sound of laughter and loud chatter, everyone having something to say about everything. Alcohol made everyone more open and boisterous it seemed, and Hinata enjoyed the noise. He also enjoyed watching Kageyama work and spoke to him whenever he took breaks and leaned over to chat or occasionally kiss him.

The music in the background was playing at a reasonable volume when suddenly a change in song caused Oikawa and Kageyama to freeze simultaneously. Oikawa began smiling, a downright wicked grin whereas Kageyama simply looked panicked, the alarm in his eyes clearly visible.

"Oikawa-san please don-" 

"THIS IS MY JAM," Oikawa hollered. He certainly wasn't drunk, but his inhibitions were a lot lower, making him a whole lot more susceptible to stupidity. Pulling out a remote from his jacket pocket, he increased the volume of the system and a tune that was very familiar to Hinata began streaming through the impressive sound system. It sounded like something Iwaizumi would listen to, he was sure of it. The name of the song was at his finger tips but not quite. 

"Hell yeah!," he heard Kuroo yell and watched in confusion as Oikawa kicked his shoes off. Kageyama simply face palmed, groaning loudly. One minute Oikawa was next to him, the next he had climbed onto the bar top, posing as if he were a performer and they were all his audience. The drums and the beat were building up, an exciting, almost thrilling experience. The music had reached that unbearably exciting point, the tip before the drop, the moment everyone held their breath as they were momentarily shrouded in silence and then- 

The sound of one of the best guitar solos Hinata had ever heard and had grown up to filled the entire expanse of the room and Oikawa was air guitaring it. 

Oikawa-san, the charmer, the man that always had his shit together, was currently playing the air guitar to the rich tunes of Dire Straits. 

Hinata wasn't sure what made him do it- the fact that he was slightly tipsy as well or that he had recognised the song but he found himself kicking his shoes off and climbing onto the counter, his back to Oikawa's as he began playing the drums, his hands flaying wildly in a motion he hoped resembled a drummer's movements. 

As Mark Knopfler's deep voice oozed out of the speakers, Hinata and Oikawa shamelessly lip synced it, continuing their ridiculous movements, amusing most of their onlookers. Kageyama looked so flustered and shocked, Hinata laughed mid way and winked at him, causing him to scowl in a poor attempt to hide his blush. 

They sang and sang to their hearts content, the lyrics coming back to Hinata. He even howled with the singers and found Kuroo joining him. Flashing him a hand gun, he laughed again before returning to his drums. 

Too soon the song ended and Hinata and Oikawa stood on the top panting. Hinata glanced over at Kageyama and smiled, the bartender biting his lip to keep from smiling back. A single pair of hands clapping snapped everyone's attention to the door. 

Iwaizumi Hajime did not smirk, at least Hinata never thought him capable- until today. His eyes were trained on Oikawa who watched him with surprise etched on his face, slowly climbing off the bar top and landing on the floor with a soft thud, and yes, his lips were curved into a smirk. 

"You did justice to 'Money for Nothing', I'm impressed," Iwaizumi said, his voice lacking bite. Oikawa flushed but the alcohol in his system gave him a sort of bravery he didn't normally possess in front of his crushes. 

"Shouldn't I be rewarded then?," he drawled, doing a come hither motion with his finger towards Iwaizumi who surprisingly complied. Walking right up to the gorgeous specimen of a human, Iwaizumi stood right in front of him, smiling at him fondly. 

"And what would you like?" 

Oikawa pretended to think long and hard before snapping his fingers. "Iwa-chan, I want a kiss!" 

Nobody could've predicted what happened next. Iwaizumi grabbed Oikawa by the waist, twisted him around and dipped him low before locking their lips in a kiss so intense, it made everyone in the room feel hot and bothered. It was passionate and wet and extremely intimate, something Hinata never thought he'd see Hajime do. 

When he deemed it payment enough, Iwaizumi finally straightened them up and let the man go, tightening his tie and messing around with his cuffs as he watched Oikawa's face intently. 

Oikawa seemed in shock for a minute before his face turned red to the point where Hinata was almost concerned. He buried his face into his hands and leaned his head onto Iwaizumi's shoulder.

"You play dirty Iwa-chan," he mumbled, still steaming. Iwaizumi simply chuckled and hummed, agreeing wholeheartedly. 

Hinata watched the entire exchange with a strange sort of fascination before he felt himself literally being swept off his feet and eventually found himself in Kageyama's arms, his legs wrapped around the man's waist, arms clinging onto his shoulders. 

"Wha-"

Kageyama cut him off by pressing his lips to Hinata's before setting him down and pecking his lips once again. 

"What was that for?," Hinata asked, unable to wipe off his ridiculous smile. 

".... Like it." 

"Huh?" 

"I FELT LIKE KISSING YOU DUMBASS!" 

Hinata stared at him before bursting out laughing, trying to stomach just how adorable his boyfriend was. He couldn't believe he had survived this long without the Raven-head in his life but he was sure he wouldn't be able to anymore. 

It had become abundantly clear to him that he had in fact, fallen madly in love with Kageyama Tobio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a head canon that Iwaizumi has excellent taste in music and that Oikawa does as well sometimes. xD 
> 
> I'm stuck in the 1980's ;_; 
> 
> This was so pointless but i hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter is more to the serious side and we'll finally know why Kageyama emancipated himself and is under Oikawa's care. Until then ~~


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so two things. First off- please please please check out the fanart for this story by Aly, I've linked it in the summary and trust me, it is sooooo worth your time! :O 
> 
> Second- this chapter contains mentions of suicide and other triggering content, none of it is explicit in ANY way but if this material triggers you at all, please skip on to the end and read the detailed description I've left there summarising the chapter!

Ten months. Hinata had been dating Kageyama for ten whole months now, his longest relationship yet, but everyday felt special, felt exciting and he always looked forward to spending more time with him. 

At this point Kageyama had come to trust Hinata explicitly, and physical contact between them was a natural thing, even though they hadn't gone all the way yet. Hinata didn't mind anymore though, he felt like when the time came, they'd know. 

For their ten month anniversary, the two decided to have a picnic on the roof late in the night, and with undeniably great luck, the power had shut down, shrouding them in darkness, allowing them to star gaze to their hearts content. It was a beautiful night, peaceful and cool, and the stars shone like diamonds, twinkling and winking at them, a view Hinata had not been blessed with his entire life. 

Even Kageyama, who normally maintained a stoic expression, seemed awestruck, openly gaping at the wondrous sight. They had eaten some delicious food, courtesy of Asahi and Daichi, and were now lying down, just soaking in the majesty of the vast expanse of the universe above them. Hinata felt small, well smaller than usual, and he realised that the universe was capable of doing that- making someone feel small, feel insignificant.

His hand found Kageyama's and he grasped it lightly, giving it a gentle squeeze. Kageyama held the digits more firmly, twining their fingers, a gesture that always made Hinata's heart hammer in his chest. 

They didn't fight tonight- no tonight was special, more so than Hinata realised at the time. As vast as the sky was, it was noiseless, quiet like a gigantic void and they both feared speaking loudly would disrupt the tranquility around them. Such calm, composed moments between them were few to none, and they both enjoyed them, enjoyed it when their volatile personalities didn't clash, when everything was just... Perfect. 

"Hinata," Kageyama muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"Yeah?," Hinata said, keeping his voice just as hushed. Even though they were speaking now, the moment hadn't passed, and Hinata believed it was ok to converse at the low volume they were using. 

"You know, I realised something." 

"And what's that?"

"You and I.. We talk about everything. Sometimes I think you know me better than I do, and I know you better than you ever will." 

Hinata laughed quietly, his body shaking slightly. "I guess I agree. Makes sense, considering how much time we spend together." 

"Yeah. but haven't you noticed?," Kageyama questioned, his voice serious, "we never talk about one thing."

"And what's that?," Hinata mumbled, slightly confused as to where Kageyama was going with this. 

"We never, ever, ever talk about.. You know... Our pasts." 

Hinata's body instantly froze, and sensing his distress, Kageyama rubbed his thumb across Hinata's palm, trying to placate him even a little. Although Hinata had come to terms with his past, it was not anywhere close to a happy one, and he always involuntarily withdrew into his shell at the mere mention of talking about it. But Kageyama was right- they couldn't keep putting off this conversation and he was curious as well, to know exactly why Kageyama was with Oikawa. He never asked Oikawa himself, knowing this was a story he had to hear from Kageyama. 

"I'll spill if you do," he finally grumbled, thinking it was a fair trade. Kageyama agreed. 

"Ok so," he began softly, trying to block out the pain in all the memories that began to surface, "Natsu and I came from a pretty poor family but.... We were happy, you know? Money isn't everything, and my parents loved us, I know they did. But one day, there was this terrible car accident and they both didn't make it." Hinata's voice was shaking just a tiny bit but he could feel Kageyama's grip on his hand becoming firmer and he appreciated the gesture, needing the support to go through this story without tears. 

"They didn't have anything to leave behind, so Natsu and I were left to fend for ourselves. It's so stupid you know?," he laughed, the sound bitter and short, "we were children, and we had to think about how to get food and clothes and where to sleep for the night because ours was a rented house and with no money, of course we were thrown out. None of our relatives wanted us, and I finally gave up, naively believing that Natsu and I could make it on our own." 

He began turning nostalgic, and his gut twisted as those upsetting memories played in his mind, the events so clear it could have happened yesterday. "At one point, we were so hungry I began stealing. Our clothes were torn and tattered and it just... There came a point where I gave up. I couldn't do it anymore, and that's when Hajime found us." 

Hinata's voice turned steadier as he remembered seeing Hajime's face for the first time when they reached his apartment. "He gave me and Natsu a home, and at first it was supposed to be like this temporary thing. I even thought he was super scary cause he rarely smiled but when Natsu got better- she had a fever when he found us, he smiled for the first time and I realised just how amazing he was. We all warmed up to each other very quickly and he took us in permanently, becoming our legal guardians."

Kageyama was a good listener, and he didn't say a word until Hinata stopped speaking, finishing his story. Their hands were still connected and neither made a move to change that. 

"So that's why you love him so much," Kageyama whispered softly, and Hinata giggled. 

"Of course. He's like a father, a best friend and my saviour. When I was in high school, he'd scold me so bad if I ever crossed the line but we'd always make up and eat ice cream and stuff."

"You know, I always thought you had a crush on him." 

"I'll admit he was the one that made me realise that I liked men as well," Hinata confessed, slightly embarrassed. "I mean, I did have the smallest crush on him around high school but I think it's only natural you know? We weren't related, I've loved him for years and lived with him AND he really is very attractive when he smiles." 

Kageyama huffed and Hinata laughed, squeezing his hand. "I had a tiny crush on him Kageyama, but I haven't felt like that since high school. Besides, I kinda really like this other grumpy guy now, maybe you know him? Tall, handsome, mean but sweet, creepy smile, great kisser-" 

"Shut up!," Kageyama muttered, his voice filled with embarrassment. Hinata laughed again before sobering up. 

"And there you have it- the story of how I, Hinata Shouyou, met and began living with Iwaizumi Hajime. Your turn." 

He could feel Kageyama suck in a deep, calming breath but just as Kageyama had sensed his distress, he could sense Kageyama's and as much as he wanted to not put him through any pain, he knew it would be best for them to put this out in the open and tonight seemed like as good a night as any. 

"Well, I actually came from a family similar to yours, you know loving and kind. I even had a baby sister, someone I doted on a lot because since I was a kid, I had this resting bitch face and everyone hated me but my sister- man she loved me like no one else. My financial situation was a lot better I guess, my dad was a salaryman and my mom was a kindergarten teacher. Life was good, life was as normal as it gets. And then, on the day my sister turned thirteen, she committed suicide." 

Shocked would be an understatement to express the emotions coursing through Hinata. He could imagine the pain Kageyama was going through and yet he couldn't. Having a younger sister of his own, he knew she was the reason they were alive today. If he had to fend for himself, he would've probably given up at the very beginning. Just the thought of losing Natsu made him shiver. Knowing it was his turn to support Kageyama through the pain of his memories, he turned to his side and cuddled into Kageyama, his arm wrapped around the man's middle. Kageyama automatically pulled him closer, seeming grateful for the contact. 

"It was horrible, to say the least. I cried for days, and my parents were anguished. Apparently she was schizophrenic, but she never said a word and when we read her letter, she mentioned she couldn't take it anymore, that she couldn't handle the voices and the hallucinations. God, knowing she had killed herself over something we could've given her help for made everything worse, and I know a part of me died with her." 

Kageyama's voice had become rough with emotions and Hinata simply held him closer, giving him the strength to continue. 

"Life went on, but obviously things were different. The house was pretty much dead on the inside, and I didn't realise until much later that the changes were not natural," Kageyama muttered, and his voice was laced with fear, something Hinata didn't think the man felt on a daily basis. 

"My sister's death had triggered my mother's own Schizophrenia, something she had repressed all those years with meds. The meds just didn't work anymore, and she started hearing voices, became paranoid and she... She started attacking me, and it kept getting worse. My dad," Kageyama chocked, his voice shaking bad, "my dad didn't do a thing. He loved my sister too much, to the extent where losing her rendered him useless. He quit his job and just went around gambling away our money, trying to get his mind off of things. My mom got worse and worse and when my dad didn't come home for days, her violence and paranoia would reach new heights." 

Kageyama was breathing heavily and Hinata's heart ached, ached for the teenage boy that went through all this, for the man in his arms that still felt the pain. 

"Oikawa-San had just become an assistant coach for my team. I went to a power school, so my team was quite prestigious and people always called me a genius setter. Oikawa-San and I never got along. He always complained about my abilities and I hated how he flirted with everything that moved. One day, while we were stretching Oikawa-San suddenly pulled me away, saying he needed to talk to me for a second. Obviously I was pissed, he was making me miss practise and at that time, it was the only thing that kept me sane. 

He pulled my shirt up and gaped at the wounds my mother had left. I didn't realise that while stretching my shirt had ridden up to the extent where the bruises were visible. For the first time ever, I saw sincerity and concern in his eyes as he spoke to me, asking me to honestly tell him what was going on. I don't know what made me do it, the fact that I was this close to breaking down or that I just wanted someone to care again but I told him everything; about the abuse, the neglect. Money was getting tighter, and I couldn't help worry."

Kageyama's voice was reduced to a mere whisper, and Hinata could only hear him because of their proximity. "Oikawa-San, he told me to hang on tight and wait, wait till I was 18. Until then, he just sort of did these small little things that helped so much- like buy me a bento three days in a week, or get me to sleepover at his house, anything to help. The day I finally turned 18, even though we weren't in the same school- he stayed with my middle school, he called me, wished me a happy birthday and told me that if my situation was just as bad, I should leave them and that he'd give me a home.

I didn't think twice. I packed a duffel bag, wrote a note and walked away. They had years to get their act together but they never did. I couldn't... I just couldn't.."

He was crying now, and Hinata pushed himself up, pulling Kageyama head into his chest and burying his face into his inky locks. Kageyama soaked his shirt with tears, his body shaking. It occurred to Hinata that Kageyama had probably never recounted this tale to a lot of people and remembering it probably made it difficult to hold back the pain. 

He held Kageyama for a long time, the man finally calming down. Pushing his face away from Hinata's chest, Kageyama kissed his chin and sighed. 

"I think," he mumbled, voice still hoarse, "we work well because of how similar we are even though we're so different. Wait, does that even make sense?" 

Hinata giggled, pressing a kiss to Kageyama's forehead. "Yeah it does actually. We're imperfectly perfect Kageyama, and that's exactly what makes us click. That's what makes us," he said, voice emphasising on the us, "perfect." 

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence, cuddling under the millions of stars above, the body heat more than adequate to stave away the chilly winds. It had gotten really late, yet they had nowhere else to be and nowhere else they would rather be. 

After what seemed like forever, but was actually a few minutes, Kageyama shifted again and pulled Hinata lower, their faces right next to each other. Leaning in slowly, he captured Hinata's lips in a slow, gentle kiss, tender and loving and healing. Hinata kissed back lazily, his heart stuttering. Kageyama's kisses always did this to him, always made him feel like there was a butterfly sanctuary in his belly.

Pulling away, Kageyama looked Hinata dead in the eye, the blue too dark to notice in the moonlight and yet Hinata had seen them enough number of times to be able to visualise them perfectly. 

"I love you Shouyou." 

The confession was bold and sincere, there was no trace of hesitation or doubt in sight. Hinata was surprised that Kageyama had been the one to confess, but it made his heart swell and he nearly cried, the relief of knowing someone you loved shared your feelings too much to handle. 

Instead, he kissed the raven-head again, a quick peck before pulling back and smiling brightly at him. 

"I love you Tobio." 

A confession under the stars was so cliche, but Hinata lived for cliches, and he'd be damned if that wasn't the most perfect confession of all time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Both Hinata and Kageyama decide to speak about their pasts, a topic they've evaded for a long time. Hinata mentions the car accident and meeting Hajime. He also mentions that Hajime was his first guy crush but he's totally over it, especially since he had Kageyama. Kageyama talks about how he had a baby sister as well but she died and his parents changed after that. His mother hurt him a lot and his father became a gambler. While stretching one day, Oikawa found bruises on his body (Oikawa was an assistant coach on his team) he feels really concerned and talks to Kageyama. After Kageyama turns 18, he offers to take him in and Kageyama leaves his home. Till then, Oikawa used to let him crash over sometimes, and give him lunch, anything to help. After they've expressed all their memories and feelings, Kageyama and Hinata confess their love to each other in an excessively cliche manner- under the stars on a roof where the date is taking place. 
> 
> Ok now with that done I have another note! Next chapter is all about their first time but I know some people that are uncomfortable with smut so it's totally skip able! 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos are awesome, thanks for reading!
> 
> Also, check out this absolutely wonderful [fanart](http://jaduri-123.tumblr.com/image/137114066541) I received for this chapter, it's so cute <3


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok before you guys go ahead and read, I really want you to visit the end notes of the previous chapter and check out some adorable fanart I received! <3 
> 
> That being said, as promised this chapter is all about their first time. It is vanilla sex but it's explicit so if smut makes you queasy, I'd suggest you sit this one out. For those of you that do wanna read, hope you enjoy! ^^
> 
> All of Hinata's tattoos can be visualised with the help of Aly's art that can be found [here](http://ryugazakkis.tumblr.com/post/136536422023/more-tattoo-artist-hinata-for-qitana15-s-a-au)!

"Hinata you dumbass, that's too much sugar!," Kageyama growled, raising the sugar container out of Hinata's reach. 

Hinata gasped dramatically before jumping ridiculously high and snatching the jar back, landing safely and clutching it tightly, accusing eyes glaring at Kageyama. 

"There can never be too much sugar, you take that back bakageyama!" 

"You idiot, we'll die young!" 

"At least we'll die happy!"

"Dying of diabetes or a heart disease is not on my list of priorities, thank you very much!," Kageyama snapped, making a grab for the jar. Hinata twirled away and kept it safe, eyeing the kettle on the stove, looking for an opportunity to dump more sugar in it. 

The two of them were at Hinata's since Iwaizumi had a date and Natsu had gone for a sleepover. As they were cuddling and watching the food network, a documentary on the origins of caramel had begun and they both suddenly felt an intense craving for the sticky, gooey, absolutely delicious golden liquid. 

Making it for the most part was not the problem- the problem was that Hinata wanted it to be sweet but Kageyama wanted salted caramel. Hence began an epic battle of survival of the condiments. 

Moments before Hinata could spring forward towards the stove, Kageyama made one last attempt to grab him, missed and hit a stray spatula with cream on it. The trajectory was perfect, the dairy product landing right on Hinata, the front of his shirt effectively ruined.

"Oops," Kageyama sniggered, pretending to have done it on purpose.

"No fair! You play dirty," Hinata grumbled. Pulling his shirt away from his body with his fore and middle finger, he grimaced at it and sighed. 

"I gotta put this for a wash." He turned to face Kageyama and pouted. "I like this shirt. The cream better not damage it." 

Kageyama smirked triumphantly before he turned back to the pot and added the salt and began stirring the mixture which was done in an instant. Switching the flame off, he turned around, looking for a cloth to wipe his hands off with when the sight in front of his registered in his mind and he stopped dead in his tracks, mouth falling open. 

Hinata hadn't left the kitchen yet but had pulled the shirt off and was muttering something about stupid raven-head's under his breath, but none of that mattered to Kageyama. He couldn't find it in himself to care, not when he had just laid eyes on Hinata's naked back for the first time in his life. 

Kageyama loved Hinata's skin- soft, a creamy colour and silky smooth yet it did have a few rough patches, wounds that refused to heal from all the playing he did as a kid, knees that were bruised to the point of no return and calloused hands from all his hard work. His back was as cream coloured as the rest of him, slightly paler due to lack of exposure to the sun and completely unblemished, not a single fault in sight. This however, wasn't even close to the reason why Kageyama was staring. It was the ink that covered the smooth expanse of skin. 

Kageyama had an appreciation for Hinata's tattoos. He liked how he hadn't overdone it like a lot of tattoo artists did, covering every inch of his arms and legs with them. "My complexion is a great contrast with the colour of the tattoo- the more skin that shows, the more the tattoos I have will stand out!," Hinata had once explained to him. Whatever the reason, Kageyama was grateful. 

The orange-head's back was no different. The tattoos were sparse but extremely prominent, and the detailing was commendable even from a distance. The design was simple enough- small crows emerging from somewhere near his hip and flying higher in a diagonal fashion, each crow larger than the one beneath it, increasing in size until the largest one ended at his shoulders, it's wings enclosing his shoulder blades in an inky embrace. Random feathers were scattered around, but not too many, just enough to seem natural and extremely tasteful. Right above where his pant started, two words had been inked onto his skin- Never Forget. 

Without him realising it, Kageyama had stumbled forward and reached out and before he could stop himself, his fingers touched the largest crow, the figure looking frightening realistic up close. 

Hinata shuddered under his touch but didn't turn around and that simple touch, that seemingly innocent caress of skin had charged the air with a thick, unavoidable tension of the sexual kind. It had been building up for months, but it wasn't glaringly obvious- it was low key, a bass in the background that could be ignored but was well appreciated and very necessary. Ignoring that had been simple, ignoring this was not an option. 

Kageyama's breath hitched as he allowed his fingers to linger and trace out the crows wings and he could feel Hinata's lungs expand with each breath, he could feel his heart beat pick up exponentially. 

"What do they mean?," Kageyama found himself asking, whispering softly. His voice had come out more gruff than he had intended it to but it was doing things to Hinata apparently- the Orange-head squirmed before answering, "which one?" 

"These," Kageyama decided to ask first, tracing the path of the crows with the tip of his finger, nails brushing against the skin, "why crows?" 

"Because," Hinata mumbled, voice cracking slightly, "they're survivors like me and Natsu. And you." 

Kageyama stepped closer and placed his palm on the small of Hinata's back, the shorter male leaning into the touch. His hand dipped lower as he reached for the text at the bottom, and he traced it with his index before dropping his head on Hinata's shoulder. 

"Never forget what?," he asked hoarsely, and he could hear Hinata gulp, could sense him quiver with that nervous energy of his. 

"Never forget the pain, the hardships, the people I've met, the people I've befriended and who've saved me, the people I..," he trailed off and took in a shaky breath before continuing, "the people I love." 

His back was warm, Kageyama noted, against his own cold palms. Kageyama always had cold hands and feet but Hinata made it his mission to warm them up with his own. Kageyama didn't mind in the least, though he never actually mentioned that out loud. Trailing his hand along the shorter man's back, fingers lingering on each vertebrae of his spine, Kageyama felt his heart beat pick up at the sight of Hinata biting his lip to keep from moaning. 

Hinata turned around slowly and Kageyama took in the flushed face, slightly parted lips that were slick, the orange eyes that were no longer orange but dark orbs, a faint orange rim around them the only indication of their true colour. He stared at Hinata, feeling a kind of arousal he hadn't felt in a long time, probably never if he was being perfectly honest and Hinata simply stared back, biting his lip again. 

"Tobio," he whispered, voice filled with need, with want, with the slightest amount of desperation. 

Something inside Kageyama snapped- using his first name was playing dirty in his opinion. 

He swooped in for a kiss that was received gratefully, Hinata's arms circling around his shoulders and pulling him impossibly close, the shorter male standing on his tippy toes. Kageyama's arms went around his waist, thumb lightly drawing random patterns on his naked back, still fascinated by the intricate, personal designs. His hands moved up and down slowly, mapping out every groove, every soft curve, every lean muscle, feeling an increasing sense of appreciation and longing with every passing moment. 

His hands suddenly moved lower and he cupped Hinata's ass, earning him a breathless gasp from the Orange head. Using the opening so wonderfully provided to him, Kageyama slipped his tongue past Hinata's soft, delicious lips and sought out his tongue, nibbling on it before sucking gently and kissing him as passionately as he could. He tasted delicious- like caramel and butter and Hinata. He kneaded the flesh in his palms, growling in approval at how perfect they were- not too soft, but not hard either and neither too big nor too small. He could feel Hinata's erection pressed into his thigh and he suddenly pulled the shorter male up, making him jump and wrap his legs around Kageyama's waist, the heels of his legs digging into the back of Kageyama's thighs. 

Breaking away from the kiss, Kageyama stared at the person in his arms, his own breathing harsh. He knew his face was flushed, and his erection was bordering painful now, demanding relief. Hinata was staring at him wide eyed before his eyes grew lidded and he looked at Kageyama with what one could only refer to as bedroom eyes- smouldering, sexy, utterly captivating. 

"Bedroom," Hinata ordered, taking the lead and making a move for the first time since that kiss he had forced on Kageyama a year ago. Back then, a command like this would've earned Hinata a kick in the stomach. Now, Kageyama was more than happy to be ordered around, slightly relieved even that Hinata had finally become comfortable enough to ask for things. 

Quickly nodding once in acknowledgement and approval, Kageyama left the kitchen and began walking in the direction of Hinata's bedroom, while the Orange-head began attacking his neck, grabbing his hair and tugging at it, pulling his head up and exposing his neck. Lips brushed against his skin before teeth scraped over it and sank into it over and over again, bruising him, marking him, exciting him a little too much for his liking. He knew Hinata was a possessive creature, and he loved it. 

Finally spotting the bedroom door, Kageyama walked in brusquely and slammed it shut with his foot, making a beeline for the bed in the middle. Dumping the artist right onto it, he climbed over him immediately and captured his lips, biting on the lower one and sucking, earning him moan after moan. 

Pulling back slightly, he asked Hinata one last thing before he lost total control, "Do you have everything we need?" 

"Oh god, yes," Hinata gasped and pulled him back in, kissing him with a ferociousness akin to eating at him. Kageyama was surprised by his forwardness given how shy he normally was when they made out, but surprised pleasantly so. His surprise didn't cease however because moments later he felt Hinata buck his knees and roll them, putting Hinata on top. He straddled the raven-head and looked at Kageyama with those bedroom eyes again except this time he looked way too erotic sexy, it should've been illegal. 

His muscles rippled as he rutted against Kageyama, his abdomen clenching with the effort, his nipples pert and a small trail of saliva on his chin. Every movement made spikes of pleasure travel up Kageyama's spine and he watched the show, enthralled. The boldness being exhibited by the shorter male was a massive turn on, and apparently Hinata was becoming increasingly aware of this fact. 

Dropping on all fours above the Raven-head, Hinata kissed him swiftly before pulling him up into a sitting position. "Off off off," he chanted, tugging at Kageyama's shirt and pushing it away. He glanced at Kageyama's body and whistled appreciatively, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively. 

"Nice," he said, eyes racking over Kageyama's fit frame. Even if he didn't play anymore, keeping himself healthy was a necessity for Kageyama, an activity he enjoyed doing anyway. Hinata's hands followed his eyes, roaming over the cut six pack, the v line that had been there since high school, the muscles that had developed only because of the sheer amount of volleyball he played.

He soon grew impatient and pulled Hinata in for another kiss before pushing him into the bed again, and tugged at his jeans, silently asking him to remove them. Hinata broke the kiss and began shimmying his hips in an attempt to remove his pants while Kageyama followed suit. In a matter of moments they were both fully naked and took a minute to just appreciate the other, taking in every inch of skin, of flesh and muscle and beauty. 

They came together more gently this time, pressing soft kisses to each other's cheeks, lips, eyelids, nose. It was sweet, it was intimate, it was frighteningly tender. 

Hinata broke away and crawled towards his night stand, ruffling through the drawer while Kageyama stared at him with lust filled eyes. He sat back up a few seconds later with a packet of condoms and lube. Throwing them nearby, he crawled back over to Kageyama and kissed him but moved lower immediately, licking along his throat, sucking a hickey onto his shoulder. His hands moved and massaged parts of Kageyama's body and the raven-head enjoyed the treatment, enjoyed being pampered. Hinata went lower and kissed each of his nipples before licking all the way to his belly button and then lower, his tongue tracing along the V line. He went lower still, oh so close to that one spot Kageyama wanted him to lick and kiss. Lower and lower he went until- 

Nothing could've prepared Kageyama for the wet warmth of Hinata's mouth, a feeling so absurdly good it made his head spin. He hadn't gotten a blowjob in forever, in fact oral sex wasn't really his favourite but with Hinata, everything was an exception. 

Hinata sucked on the head of his cock, not too hard but in no way gentle. Licking at his slit generously, Kageyama shuddered as his body tried to take in the overwhelming pleasure. He slowly pumped the raven-head and pulled away, his intense eyes on Kageyama, lips stretched in a devilish grin. 

"Oh, you should know something," he said, voice filled with breathless amusement. 

"And what's that?," Kageyama gasped out as Hinata twisted his wrist and squeezed hard, touching him in all the right spots. 

"I don't have a gag reflex." 

Kageyama was given no time at all to process that information before Hinata took him in his mouth again- only this time he didn't stop at the head but dropped down completely, almost fully sheathing Kageyama's cock. He could only throw his head back and curse, his hand automatically finding Hinata's hair and grabbing it, the grip just short of painful. 

Kageyama resisted the urge to buck his hips up, focusing on the feeling of Hinata's tongue licking him in the all the right ways. Even without a gag reflex, Hinata couldn't take in all of Kageyama, and the bit that he couldn't was taken care of by his hand. He pumped and sucked and licked and nibbled Kageyama into insanity, his mind fogging with pleasure. Just as he noticed his climax approach, Kageyama gently but firmly pulled Hinata's head away. 

The sight of Hinata with slick lips, holding his cock right next to his face as he looked at Kageyama with glazed eyes was almost enough to make Kageyama blow his load right there. Groaning, he cupped Hinata's face. 

"Swing your ass this way." 

Hinata's face split into a wide grin as he sat up and slowly climbed over Kageyama, ass right in front of his face. He lowered his hips till his dick touched Kageyama's chest and he went back to paying attention to Kageyama junior before Kageyama could stop him. 

The view was.... delicious, if Kageyama was being honest. Hinata's ass looked so inviting, soft and smooth, and he slowly placed his palms over it and squeezed. 

Pushing his face closer still, he licked a line along the crack and relished in the moan it pulled out from Hinata, the man above him shivering. 

He did it again, with a little more force this time, and then began sucking at the puckered, pink hole. Hinata's knees buckled and Kageyama took his weight with no problems. He continued his relentless attack, constantly switching between sucking and licking, teasing the Orange-head into tears. 

"Kageyama," he heard Hinata moan in a voice so erotic it went right to Kageyama's dick. 

Deciding to reward the man, Kageyama spread his cheeks apart and let his tongue delve in, penetrating the man above him with the wet appendage. Hinata's back arched at the feeling, and the whimpers leaving his mouth were music to Kageyama's ears. 

He pushed his tongue in as deep as he could and sucked, the motion making the man above him writhe with need. It became abundantly clear that while Hinata was enjoying himself, the act just wasn't enough, nowhere near it actually. Using his own saliva as temporary lube, Kageyama pushed his middle finger in alongside his tongue and Hinata hissed, his own movements grinding to a halt. He had Kageyama's dick in his hand and he squeezed it gently, earning him a few grunts from the raven-head. 

Kageyama began pumping his finger in and out at a leisurely place while simultaneously attacking the man with his tongue, effectively making him a complete and utter mess. When the motion of one finger was smooth and met with no resistance, Kageyama slipped his index finger in as well, and it took a short amount of time for Hinata to get reacquainted with the sensations and the feelings hitting him from every part of his body. 

The third finger, which had replaced his tongue, was met with some resistance and Kageyama had a hard time trying to figure out whether the groan the action elicited was one of pain, pleasure or both. He took it slow, thoroughly preparing the man above him for a sexual act he hadn't experienced in quite a while. 

Finally Kageyama deemed Hinata ready, when he felt his insides go soft and the ring of muscles relax. He hadn't found his prostate yet but he knew he'd have plenty of time to look for it when they got to the real thing. Plus, Hinata already looked like he was on the verge of climaxing, finding his prostate at that moment would've probably been counter productive. 

Slapping his ass lightly, Kageyama tried getting his attention, the shorter male still licking and kissing his cock with vigour. He wasn't going to last much longer with that kind of stimulation. 

"Shouyou, enough. Come here," Kageyama drawled, trying to hold on to any shred of restraint. Hinata complied and sat up, crawling off the man before straddling him once again and kissing him senseless, more tongue than anything else. 

Sitting up, Hinata smiled at him sinfully, and Kageyama felt his heart stop. The orange-head reached for the neglected pack of condoms and tore one open with his teeth, never breaking eye contact with Kageyama. He slid it on the man's dick with relative ease before reaching for the bottle of lube. Pouring some of the substance onto his fingers, he slicked up Kageyama's cock, not allowing the raven-head to take part in preparations. 

"I've waited too long to have you tease and torture me," he murmured in a guttural voice, "so now I am going to do this my way." 

He placed one hand on Kageyama's abdomen to steady himself while using the other to position the cock right beneath his hole. His breathing was laboured, drops of sweat rolled down his chest and stomach, and he had captured his lower lip with his teeth, gnawing at it. 

Slowly he lowered himself, inch by inch, moaning the whole time until he finally bottomed out, slamming flush against Kageyama's body, sheathing him completely. They both let out twin moans, the pleasure electrifyingly intense. Kageyama tried to control his breathing as a way to distract himself from thrusting right up, the enveloping heat so warm and inviting. Hinata, on the other hand, tried holding back tears of discomfort. He hadn't had sex like this in a while and Kageyama was in no way small. Prepared though he might have been, it always took some getting used to, and it didn't feel particularly good right off the bat.

Taking deep, calming breaths, Hinata finally felt good enough to slowly push his hips up before sinking back down, and this time it did feel good. More pleasure, less pain. 

He repeated the action a few more times and with every thrust, the act became slightly more pleasurable until the pain was nothing but a prickle that could be ignored. Kageyama watched in awe as the man above him rode him at an unhurried, slow, gentle pace, and the sight was something else. A wrecked Hinata was an absolutely gorgeous Hinata. 

Kageyama waited for Hinata to push up again and just as he sank down, he thrust up, trying to sync their movements. Hinata gasped at the sudden change but seemed to welcome it. Kageyama and he established a pace of sorts and the Raven-head kept thrusting at different angles, trying to find that bundle of nerves, that one spot that would drive Hinata ins-

One particular thrust had Hinata keening, his whole body quaking violently as he cried out, "Tobio!" 

Kageyama smirked, his sweat drenched face triumphant. Remembering the angle, Kageyama grabbed Hinata's hands in his own, lacing their fingers together, and began thrusting up over and over again, speeding up their pace till the only sound in the room was the slapping of skin on skin, the panting and moaning and their cries and pleas.

"God Tobio, fuck, right there! Oh god... Harder!" Hinata kept encouraging and not even for a moment did the the orange head back down, riding the Raven-head with a profound enthusiasm, each thrust sending shock waves of pleasure up his spine, making him see stars behind closed eyelids.

The pace turned brutal and desperate, the two of them chasing relief together. Each thrust brought them that much closer, and just the sight of one another was making it difficult to hold on for too long.

"God Shouyou!," Kageyama shouted, his grip on Hinata's hands tightening as he thrust particularly deep, hitting Hinata's prostate dead on, and the combination of a direct prostate attack plus his first name from Kageyama's lips was what undid Hinata. He climaxed almost immediately, Kageyama's name leaving his mouth in a wanton, lewd moan. 

He tightened around the raven-head and Kageyama didn't care anymore- he just let go. They both rode out their orgasm and finally Hinata slumped forward, his head meeting Kageyama's chest with a meaty thump. They were still breathing hard, the sweat slowly beginning to dry away as their hearts attempted to slow down. 

"Hey Shou?," Kageyama mumbled, pulling out slowly and lifting the Orange-head's face up by the chin. Hinata looked at him with a sated expression on his face, a pleased smile adorning his features.

"Hmmm?," Hinata said, his voice adorable.

Kageyama kissed his nose, "I love you." 

"I love you," Hinata giggled and kissed him back. 

Pulling the condom off, Kageyama tied it in a knot before disposing of it. Getting up, he walked to the bathroom and grabbed a wet cloth, and slowly wiped Hinata clean, groping him unnecessarily. Not that Hinata was complaining. 

"Tobio?"

"Yeah?" 

"Round 2 in 10?"

Kageyama looked at him and smirked. "Make that 5."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah was it awful? Readers of my other fics will know how insecure I am about my smut writing, any and all comments and criticisms are much appreciated! 
> 
> ALSO DID YOU SEE THE COVER ART OMG I DIED <3 (check summary and then come freak out with me)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: lots of tattooed Kuroo and an overall pointless chapter. 
> 
> This arc will be short and fluffy, hope you enjoy! ^^ 
> 
> Kuroo's tattoos were inspired by two artists that can be found [here](http://anyeka.tumblr.com) and [here](http://nairuru.tumblr.com). Thank you for the permission guys! Links to the images themselves can be found in the chapter.

"Promise me you'll call if anything happens!"

"Oni-chan, leave already! Naru will be here any minute!"

"Promise me Natsu!," Hinata said, voice bordering hysteric. 

"Ok, I promise! Geez!," Natsu finally relented, huffing indignantly. Her irritation however, dissolved moments later when she noticed just how worried her brother was and she threw her arms around his shoulders, bending down to kiss him on the cheek. 

"I'll be fine, Oni-chan! Go have fun! You know I'm not a baby anymore."

"I know that!," Hinata said, his hands gripping Natsu's forearms tightly. "I know that, but I cant help worry, you know?"

"Umm," Kageyama muttered, standing behind the brother-sister duo, leaning into Iwaizumi, "is this normal? I dont really understand what's going on."

"Ah well," Iwaizumi replied, hand moving up to scratch the back of his neck, "ever since Hinata and Natsu became my family, they've never been apart for more than a day at a time, so I guess Hinata's having a hard time dealing with something like letting her go and acknowledging that she's grown up and capable of taking care of herself?"

"I see," Kageyama nodded, eyes softening at the plausible and mostly accurate explanation. Hinata was a very caring person, and he knew the possessiveness a brother felt over a baby sister. He had been an insanely possessive brother himself, and it made sense that someone as family oriented as Hinata felt the same way. 

"I'll see you later then, and don't forget to call tonight!"

"Yes mother," Natsu grumbled before engulfing him in a quick hug and pushing him away. She walked to Iwaizumi and gave him a swift hug. "Take care of him ok? I dont want him drowning in the sea." 

Iwaizumi laughed and gently ruffled her hair. "Yes ma'am. You take care ok? Don't burn the house down. When's Naru coming anyway?"

A swift knock on the door answered the question and Natsu walked past Kageyama and pulled it open, revealing a tiny, petite blonde with the most striking blue green eyes. Her smile was adorable and for a minute, everyone got a very Kenma-like vibe from her.

"She's here so scram! Call me when you're in the hotel." 

"Will do!," Iwaizumi said and began heading out the door, duffle bag in hand. Hinata grabbed his own and gave Natsu's friend a quick smile before making a 'call me' gesture to his sister and finally leaving with Kageyama right behind him.

"Hey," Kageyama whispered, lacing his fingers with Hinata's, giving it a quick squeeze before pulling away. "She'll be just fine." 

Hinata nodded and dramatically wiped away a fake tear, sniffling for effect. "My baby sister's all grown up."

"You know she's taller than yo-" Kageyama couldnt complete the sentence as a bag-pack was thrown right at his face. 

"Bakageyama!," Hinata growled, stalking away. He failed to see the small, satisfied smile on Kageyama's face at having effectively distracted his boyfriend. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The plan was all Oikawa's doing- he had randomly barged into Murder one day, pamphlets in hand and an excited look in his eyes. 

"Let's go to the beach!," he had yelled.

"Ok!," Kuroo had yelled back. And that was pretty much it. As anticlimatic as the planning had been though, Hinata was genuinely excited to go. Kageyama, Oikawa, Iwaizumi, Kuroo, Kenma, Bokuto, Akaashi and he were going on this trip- it was somewhat like a really gay couples retreat. Asahi and Daichi had been invited as well but they had already made plans with their respective partners and had decided to sit this one out.

Oikawa was waiting for them in an enormous SUV like vehicle, checking himself out in the mirror. 

"Oye Trashkawa, open the dickey, I gotta put the stuff in! Dont worry, no matter how long you look in the mirror, you'll still be as ugly as always." 

"Rude!," Oikawa shouted, pulling a lever that let the dickey door jump open. Kageyama and Hinata dumped their bags in after Iwaizumi and slammed it shut, making the car jerk. Iwaizumi walked on over to the drivers side while Kageyama and Hinata opened the passenger doors and climbed in. 

"Scoot in, I'll drive," Iwaizumi said, pushing Oikawa gently. 

"I'll move if you kiss me."

"No."

"Iwa-chan..." 

"No."

"Pretty please?," he asked, batting his eyelids enticingly. 

Iwaizumi sighed before pulling Oikawa in for a brief but heated kiss, and Hinata felt his own face burn with embarrassment. The kiss made Oikawa complacent and he scooted over, allowing a smug Iwaizumi to get in and buckle up before pulling onto the road and driving towards Kuroo and Kenma's residence. Hinata bounced in his seat, super excited about the trip. He hadn't taken some time off for a while now, and he definitely hadnt been to the sea in years.

"Calm down dumbass! You keep jolting me," Kageyama grumbled, his voice lacking heat. Hinata simply smiled at him before scooting close and placing his head on the man's shoulder, letting his eyes slide shut and trying to calm down. Kageyama felt his face burn at such a public display of affection but he allowed it, knowing Iwaizumi and Oikawa were his only audience. A knowing smirk from Oikawa didnt help the situation much though.

It took them about 12 minutes to reach Kuroo's residence and as Iwaizumi pulled up in front of their apartment complex, Kageyama's jaw dropped as he took in Kuroo's outfit.

[Kuroo](http://anyeka.tumblr.com/image/123050035211) for the most part dressed in solid colours, his outfits nothing special but even then, he had an aura about him, and his hairstyle was a signature one, always attracting attention. His clothes today however, were anything but boring. 

A sleeveless dark blue ACDC tee hung off his frame, well fitting and accentuating his broad shoulders. He wore purplish pink shorts that ended slightly above the knee and purple vans. For the first time Kageyama and the rest of the gang except for Hinata and Kenma got a good look at his normally covered tattoos, and they were definitely nothing to sneeze at. 

His right arm was covered with so many different patterns ranging from Aztec to abstract to ancient while his left arm had one simple [design](http://nairuru.tumblr.com/image/137380126596) just above the wrist, circular in shape and intricate, with many fine details. His neck had a tattoo as well, a design that made it look like he wore a permanent choker, and his right calf was covered by an extremely cool looking flame design, giving him an overall badass look. 

He waved at them as they came to a complete stop and Kenma looked up from his phone, yawning widely. Hinata jumped out of the vehicle the minute they stopped and went right for Kenma, hugging him tightly. 

"Kenmaaaa! We're going to the beach!," he hollered, seeming excessively excited. 

"I know Shouyou, I know," Kenma grumbled, awkwardly petting Hinata's head, the smallest of smiles playing on his thin lips. Kuroo ruffled Hinata's hair playfully before dumping their bags in the back and pulling Kenma along, occupying the last seat, Kenma still bleary eyed. 

"Ok everyone ready?," Iwaizumi asked, and after receiving an affirmative, he got back on the road, driving towards their last stop before they made their way to the hotel. 

Akaashi's and Bokuto's place was a bit far from all of theirs and it took them a good 35 minutes before they finally pulled up in front of their residence. Everyone was shocked when they took in the appearance of a Bokuto without his spiked hair or energy, looking exhausted. Akaashi looked his calm, beautiful self, nodding as they stopped in front of him. 

"What happened to him?," Kuroo asked, voice drama heavy as he pulled Bokuto into his arms, checking to see if his heart was still beating. 

"He's fine," Akaashi grumbled, rolling his eyes. "You have to remember that Bokuto-San is like a five year old, Kuroo-San. He was so excited last night he barely got any sleep and now he's dead on his feet. Let him recharge in the car, he'll get back to normal when we reach I assure you." 

Kuroo sighed dramatically but pulled Bokuto into the back seat with him and Kenma while Akaashi adjusted with Hinata and Kageyama. 

"Hello Akaashi-San," Kageyama said with a rare amount of fondness in his voice and Akaashi smiled at him, gently bumping their shoulders. 

"Hey Kageyama, you as excited as these children?"

"Maybe not as excited, but it'll be fun I guess." 

"HEY!," Hinata pouted, and was promptly ignored. 

"Hopefully. This one," he said, pointing behind him at Bokuto, "has been over the moon about it since he found out, I'd hate it if he were disappointed." 

"Look around you Akaashi," Oikawa said, his voice sounding like a game show hosts for some reason. "You're in a car with two genius artists, a man who can make cocktails that the devil would trade for a soul, a man with enough energy for not one, not two but probably three five year olds, a digital genius who'd hack into nasa for fun if he weren't so lazy, a man whose capable of selling a house to the queen of England and a man whose beauty transcends time. I can't guarantee you'll get home alive, but I can promise you a good time." Oikawa turned back and winked, his hair bouncing in that annoyingly attractive way. 

"Good to know," Akaashi deadpanned and Iwaizumi burst out laughing as Oikawa pouted, hating it when people were unaffected by his charm. He hadn't even spoken to Hinata and the guy's heart was pounding. 

"Are we all ready then?," Iwaizumi asked one last time, a slightly amount of excitement seeping into his voice and Hinata nearly peed himself in his excitement. 

"YOSHAAA!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you it was pointless. 
> 
> Comments and kudos keep me going guys, thanks for reading! ^^
> 
> Also, check out this adorable [fanart](http://boobsballoon.tumblr.com/image/137249615482) I received! ^^
> 
> And also- look at [this](http://for-others.tumblr.com/post/138103243345/please-read-from-right-to-left-i-couldnt-stop)!! It's a comic strip from this chapter and it's adorable! Check it out and love the artist <3


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks! Apologies for missing last week, it seems I have forgotten how to write. I kept messing up tenses and everything seemed dumb and I'm not ecstatic about this chapter but I couldn't put this off any longer! Hope you enjoy!

Hinata realised that sometimes, somethings looked exactly the way it was portrayed in the pictures. Having done some brief research on the place they were visiting, he had come across some extremely beautiful photographs and had sighed wistfully, willing away the hope that formed inside him. He now realised he had no reason to do so; if anything, the scene before him was even more breathtaking than any picture he had discovered on Google images. 

The car sped along the rather empty road, the occupants busy doing their own thing. Oikawa sang along to the music on the radio, his voice pleasantly soothing as he not-so-subtly held Iwaizumi's hand, who not-so-subtly held it back. Bokuto had finally snapped out of his stupor, and was laughing almost maniacally at something Kuroo had said, the two of them cracking the weirdest jokes as Kenma continuously sighed and typed away on his phone. Akaashi had engaged him and Kageyama in a rather interesting conversation about gelato but the moment Hinata caught sight of the ocean, he cut Akaashi off mid sentence, his excitement getting the better of him. 

"Oh my god look!," he yelled, lurching forward, his body all over Kageyama's since he had the window seat and Hinata was right in the middle. He could feel the Raven head prepare himself to insult Hinata so before he could say a word, he held onto Kageyama's chin and jerked it towards the window, smirking triumphantly when he successfully made sure the man wouldn't complain, too busy gawking at the almost unreal view. 

The sand was a soft golden colour and it looked inviting, almost beckoning them to jump out the car and roll around in it. Palm trees were littered all over providing quality shade to the few occupants that sat around leisurely on beach chairs, coolers and other beachy things flanking them. 

The water was a clear turquoise that reflected the sunlight in the most perfect way, giving it a surreal look that was aesthetically pleasing. It was clean as far as Hinata could see, and he was this close to actually getting down and running into the water. He held himself back, not wanting to get his current clothes wet, knowing settling in the hotel would be a wiser decision and that he'd get his ass handed to him if he did something so stupid. 

He was practical vibrating with energy at this point and he was pleased to notice how his enthusiasm was rubbing off on everyone, if the smiles they were currently sporting were anything to go by. Even Kenma's lips were slightly upturned, and Iwaizumi's dimples were on show, Oikawa seeming to melt at the sight. 

They finally reached their hotel, a high end sleek looking building that seemed like one of those places that were air conditioned perfectly. Iwaizumi handed the keys over to valet and after retrieving their bags, they headed to the reception, mutually deciding to allow Oikawa to do all the talking. The receptionist didn't stand a chance and within moments they all had top class rooms on the highest floor with views overlooking the sunset. Miracle worker would probably be one way of describing Oikawa, and Hinata was convinced it was the hair, maybe the voice, also the smile, possibly the height.... So Oikawa basically. 

As he handed their key cards around, Hinata grabbed the one meant for the room he was sharing with Kageyama and checked the details before sprinting towards the stairs. 

"Beat you to the room!," he hollered, laughing as he wove through the multitudes of people seamlessly, disappearing in moments. 

"Oye that's cheating dumbass!," Kageyama growled as he sprinted in his general direction, looking for that head of bright orange, finding it easily enough. Iwaizumi and Oikawa watched in amusement, two proud, albeit slightly embarrassed guardians. 

"They grow up so fast," Oikawa sniffled, wiping away a fake tear. 

"Shut it, trashkawa," Iwaizumi grumbled but his own voice was slightly clogged. It really was a bittersweet thing to watch a kid grow up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The group decided to meet at the beach, knowing coordinating all of them to arrive at the same time in the lobby would be difficult, pretty much next to impossible. Surprisingly, Kageyama and Hinata ended up taking the longest time. The moment they reached their room they both fell face first into the bed, exhausted after running up all those stairs, and they had smacked the door at the same time, which meant it was yet another tie.

"Where are your swim shorts?," Hinata finally asked, voice stable and breathing regular. Kageyama pushed his own head off the bed and pointed at the duffle. Hinata grabbed it and pulled out the first pair of trunks he found.

"Here," he said, throwing a black one at him, and finally searching through his own bag, pulling out some shorts for himself. Stripping almost immediately, Hinata began pulling on a pair of blue trunks and Kageyama lazily followed suit, shedding all his clothing before pulling on the black shorts. They decide to skip the shirts and wear some sandals and sunscreen. Hinata handed a bottle over to Kageyama and turned around, his back facing his boyfriend. 

"Put some on me, I can't reach!," he said, his voice distracted as he went through some messages on his phone. Kageyama applied the lotion diligently, but he realised allowing Hinata to walk around shirtless the whole time would probably be counterproductive, his tattoos so striking and his skin so supple it was giving Kageyama a hard time, his back muscles rippling slightly, his shoulder blades looked delectable. Swallowing thickly, he finished applying the sunscreen before quickly throwing a shirt at Hinata. 

"Wha-" "Just wear it," Kageyama snapped, and Hinata simply shrugged before pulling it over his head. He returned the favour by applying lotion on Kageyama's back and the two of them headed out, ready for some fun in the sun. Kageyama completely missed the impish smile on Hinata's face, a clear sign that the boy knew how possessive his lover was and liked it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sight that greeted Hinata and Kageyama on the beach was one that would ensure that every straight man question their sexuality at least a little. The rest of the gang was already there, a few blankets spread out beneath them and umbrellas in place, sun glasses on and cheeky smiles upturning their lips. They were all shirtless, save for Kenma and if Hinata didn't have a hot as hell boyfriend or was a stranger to the group, he would've killed to even talk to any of them.

He had seen Kuroo shirtless before but it was no less impressive now than it was during their college days- his red shorts hung low, exposing his very prominent V line and the solid six pack he still maintained. His pecs were as firm as ever and his back rippled with muscle. There was no bulky muscle on his body, it was all lean and tough, and while he wasn't slender, he wasn't large either. He was perfect. It showed that he was a middle blocker- his arms still had their definition, tough and taunt and the tattoos made them look twice as gorgeous.

Kenma wore mint green shorts that complimented his skin tone and blonde hair, along with a plain white tee. He kinda looked like an angel, and for once his phone or any other device wasn't in sight. He didn't like the heat or the sun but the weather was lovely. Humid, but not pathetically so, it didn't sap away his already tiny reserve of energy and his fond smile when he saw Hinata made the orangehead beam back at him.

Hinata had seen Iwaizumi shirtless countless number of times at home and if he was still a high schooler it would have bothered him for sure. He didn't even bat an eyelid anymore, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the beauty. He could still perceive how buff the man was, his shoulders broad and arms thick, along with a chest that was envy worthy. His tattoos looked phenomenal- from the puma that graced his entire left side, its tail crossing his hip bones, to the small skull just below his neck, right where the vertebrae began to show. 

It was Hinata's first time seeing Oikawa shirtless and his eyes widened as he tried to take in the extremely .... Oikawa-like sight. 

He was a lot more fit than Hinata had given him credit for- leaner than Iwaizumi but more cut; his creamy skin unsurprisingly unblemished, not a mark in sight and his perfect hair was the final blow. If the others looked like unintentional amateur models, he looked like he had stepped out of a magazine catalogue. 

Bokuto was just like Kuroo in terms of the fact that his volleyball days seemed to have left their mark on him- his arms were beautiful, and so were his thighs, but his smile was what made him most attractive. Akaashi was gorgeous, almost as lean as Hinata and Kenma but lithe, his arms proof of his setter days. 

The two of them joined the gang and sat down, opening the coolers they had rented and passing drinks and cold foods around, lounging lazily while just spending time with one another, conversing about the most mundane of things. Hinata couldn't stop smiling, the mood light and the air fresh. People had slowly begun to trickle in and he was aware of all the looks they were attracting, but no one bothered them so they didn't pay it any mind. 

An hour and a half later, the whole gang was full and satisfied, and Hinata could feel himself shake with too much nervous energy, having recharged with delicious food and not working any of it off. He got up and jumped around a bit, trying to calm down but it only made him feel like pushing himself more, and so he remained standing. As he turned around to check out the expanse of the beach, his eye caught sight of a net. It wasn't a fisher net though- it was a volleyball net. 

"No way!," Hinata yelled as he sprinted towards it and moments later he could hear the soft thuds of footsteps running behind him, trying to catch up. He didn't need to turn around to know it was Kageyama and he didn't need to look at his face or speak to him to know that he was just as excited about seeing a volleyball net. 

As they reached it, Hinata was delighted to notice how the net was in top condition- no tears or holes, the ropes binding it taunt and new, the net at a decent height and made of good quality. Hinata reached out and grabbed it, his fingers clenching it between the holes. He loved this texture, he loved the smell and combined with the smell of the ocean, it was almost overwhelmingly nice. 

"If only we had a ball," Kageyama sighed beside him, his own fingers caressing the net gently, a nostalgic smile on his face, a smile so gentle and sweet it made Hinata's heart stutter. 

"Oya oya? And what do we have here?," Kuroo's voice rang out, amused and interested. Hinata turned around and was surprised to notice the entire gang behind them, all their stuff packed and in their hands. 

"It looks like it's in good shape," Iwaizumi said, stepping forward and inspecting it closely. 

"Can we play? Can we?," Bokuto asked, his voice as enthusiastic as ever. It wasn't helping Hinata's own bubbling excitement- he hadn't played volleyball in a while but his love for it had never dimmed, and it still held a dear place in his heart. 

"We need a ball Bokuto-San," Akaashi grumbled, trying to calm down the overexcited owl hooting next to him. 

"Well," Oikawa said, cocking his head slightly, "I remember seeing volleyballs at the reception earlier, I'm sure if we ask nicely they'll le-" 

Hinata and Kageyama had already taken off, more than willing to make the trip to the hotel and back, somehow finishing the entire process in 8 minutes. 

"Ok so how exactly are we going to do this?" 

"No idea. I mean, we literally have four setters and four spikers." 

"Hmm," Oikawa hummed, tapping his foot lightly on the sand. They were currently facing the awkward dilemma of how to proceed since most of them played the same position, and all of them were currently with their respective lovers, trying to come up with a remotely fair plan. 

"How about 4 on 4?" 

"Won't work," Oikawa grumbled, "Two setters will upset the equilibrium, trust me it'll be bad." 

"Can someone play a different position- no never mind." 

"How about a 2 on 2 tag system?," Iwaizumi suggested, shrugging. "We play 2 versus 2, whichever team scores stays and the losing team is replaced by the next set." 

"Sounds fair," Akaashi agreed and Bokuto nodded vigorously. Oikawa beamed at the suggestion and both Hinata and Kageyama grin viciously, their competitive nature surfacing at an alarming rate. 

"Let's do this!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No one took into consideration the fact that Akaashi and Bokuto had played volleyball together since high school and were from a national level team. Suffice to say, they were whooping ass on a pretty incredible scale. 

They were the only ones that hadn't been knocked out even once, though Oikawa and Iwaizumi had come close. Oikawa was a darn good setter it appeared, and his chemistry with Iwaizumi even on the court was commendable. 

Kuroo had a way of handling Bokuto but even he couldn't really beat the owl so much as he could almost contain him. Kenma and he had an oddly functional dynamic, and everyone was impressed with how well the two of them coordinated and worked with each other, moving fluidly and concisely. 

Hinata and Kageyama- no one knew what to expect anymore, not even the two of them themselves. Initially it went terribly, they were horribly out of sync, their skills not matching up at all but then, something just clicked. One single spike connected, a spike so insanely accurate, a spike so beautiful it left Hinata's palm stinging in the most pleasant way and it left Kageyama breathless. Bokuto had managed to receive the spike at the last moment and had returned it, which resulted in their loss but Kageyama and Hinata knew they were onto something big. The tag system continued until finally Oikawa and Iwaizumi won against the owls and as they celebrated, they heard loud cheering. Looking around, the gang was flabbergasted to see the number of spectators their little game had attracted, the entire court swarmed by too many people. It was about 5 in the evening, and no one was tired just yet. 

"Ah Oikawa-san," Kageyama gritted out, his smile feral, "I'm going to destroy you."

"I'd like to see you try, Tobio-chan," Oikawa sang but his voice was ice, and the tension was higher than the Empire State. 

It started off normally but ended up being the longest set of the day. Kageyama and Oikawa knew each other two well; so did Hinata and Iwaizumi. Hinata knew that Iwaizumi's skill lay in his strength and ability to calmly assess and attack. Iwaizumi knew Hinata was reckless and impulsive and often made mistakes. The two setters were scary, their skill a little too good for mere mortals.

The battle was vicious but Oikawa came out victorious and Kageyama looked so sad it almost physically hurt Hinata. 

"Tobio-chan~," Oikawa said, his voice filled with amusement but before Kageyama could say a word, Hinata turned him around and slapped his face with both his hands. 

"Kageyama!," he shouted loud and clear. 

"Wha-" 

Hinata stands on his tippy toes and kisses him right on the lips, in front of everyone, his arms encircling Kageyama's neck. Kageyama reacts instantly, engulfing Hinata in his arms and kissing him back before he realises that they're in public, the catcalls jarring him from his stupor. 

"Hinata dumbass!," he yelled, but his face was flaming and all Hinata does is smile the smile that cures cancer, and the sun pales in comparison.

They play a few more sets before finally calling it a day and everyone's sweaty and panting and Hinata can feel the thirst in the air. Oikawa looked amazing before, he looked even better sweaty. Kuroo and Bokuto's hairdos finally seemed to be agreeing with the laws of gravity and there was something so unbelievably attractive about them with their hair down. 

They trudged back to the hotel, tired but oddly exhilarated. The sport was something each of them kept close to their hearts and they knew- years and years could pass by without them playing but all they needed was a volleyball, a net and a companion to get it all back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beach volleyball. I die. I cry. If anyone's seen beach volleyball pics of our boys on tumblr tell me please!!? 
> 
> Also, Iwaizumi with tattoos (/•_•/) 
> 
> ALSO: please make sure to go back to the previous chapter and check out the end notes, I've inserted a link to an adorable comic made from an excerpt of that chapter! :3 :3


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok first off- Hinata's new look in this chapter is inspired by [this](http://octorina.tumblr.com/image/138365858393) made by the amazing octorina. Go love her right now. Seriously. 
> 
> It's getting increasingly difficult for me to write these chapters because I've found a new writing style that I like so much better but I can't use it here cause it'll become way too inconsistent. *sigh* 
> 
> This chapter contains smut but the ending is super important so when you encounter this sign ~~(\•.•/)~~ both at the beginning and end, stop and pick up from there ok? 
> 
> I honestly feel like this came out so shitty. I hope you guys enjoy anyway!

Kageyama woke up the next morning feeling sore all over which was expected since he hadn't played volleyball in awhile. It came back to him easily enough- the feel of the ball and the coarseness of the material managed to somehow pull out some kind of muscle memory and he played as though he had never stopped. He was a fit person so it wasn't too surprising but unused muscles always hurt.

It was a good kind of pain though. It was pain that brought satisfaction in its wake and Kageyama didn't mind the aches. It was getting better with every passing moment as well so it was easy enough to ignore. Rolling around in bed, he expected a bundle of orange hair to meet his face but nothing did. The bed next to him was empty and slightly cold, meaning Hinata had woken up at least an hour ago.

Suddenly feeling wide awake himself, Kageyama sat up and groaned as his body protested the quick movement. A tiny rustling sound caught his attention and he found a note on Hinata's pillow. Picking it up slowly, he rubbed at his eyes before blinking awake and opened the note, trying to decipher its contents.

" _Oikawa-san called and said he wanted 2 go 2 the beauty salon. You were sleeping wayyy 2 peacefully so I didn't wanna disturb u and volunteered instead. Hope u got some rest sleepyhead._

_Love ya,  
Shou."_

Kageyama sniggered at the note and felt elated- he hated going to the spa with the Oikawa. His visits were extremely regular and he never went alone so Kageyama was forced to accompany him. Not only did those places make him uncomfortable, they'd constantly try to push him into doing things like manicures and haircuts as well and he didn't see any reason as to why he should change anything about himself except maybe the occasional hair cut. Oikawa would laugh at his discomfort but never show mercy. With Hinata around, he hoped he could send him more often in his place.

Sliding off the bed, Kageyama stripped off all his clothes on the way to the bathroom, leaving a trail behind him. Stepping right into the cubicle, he turned the knob to the maximum heat and sighed as the water cascaded over him, instantly relaxing his muscles and lulling him back to sleep. It was a wonderful, almost hypnotic feeling but a few minutes later the heat started to get to him and he turned the knob again, cutting off the water. Towelling himself dry, he allowed the material to hang low on his hips as he brushed his teeth and finally felt awake.

A quick look at the clock told him that it was already close to brunch, and after pulling on some shorts and a shirt, he exited the room with the keycard in hand, trying to locate either Hinata or someone in their group. He hoped that Oikawa had let his boyfriend go; he really wanted to spend sometime with him, just the two of them.

As he exited the lift and stepped into the lobby, he located the familiar orange colour head of hair he was wishing to see and his mood lifted immediately. As he approached the man however, his steps faltered and he was finally close enough to take in his appearance and his breath turns shallow, his heart practically stopping.

Hinata had an undercut.

His mind imprints the image into his memory forever and he was grateful for that because the beauty that is Hinata with a goddamn undercut was almost too much for him to handle.

He wasn't wearing a shirt like most patrons of the hotel, so his tattoos were out on display, the crows seeming to spread their wings enthusiastically. He had an enormous smile on his face as he and Oikawa chatted, and his dragon earring was prominent, almost as eye catching as the person wearing it.

Kageyama noticed how people were opening gawking at Hinata and it pissed him off because he believed he was the only one who could stare at his boyfriend inappropriately. He didn't understand how, but he suddenly found himself right behind Hinata, and when the shorter male turned around and smiled, he was sure his heart had gone into cardiac arrest.

~~(\•.•/)~~

"Kageyama?," Hinata asked, his voice laced with worry. Kageyama realised his face must've been contorted weirdly but rather than dwelling on that, he grabbed Hinata's arm and began pulling him towards their room, his mind focused on one thing and one thing alone.

Hinata didn't protest, but he called out to Kageyama, trying to understand what mood the man was in. They avoided the elevator and Kageyama kept him in tow, pulling him as fast as possible until they were right in front of their door again. Fumbling with the keycard, Kageyama finally got it open and pushed Hinata in, following in closely before slamming it shut.

"Wha-" he cut Hinata off mid sentence by pushing him right against the door and kissing him firmly, lovingly, borderline desperately. His hands immediately weaved through Hinata's hair and brushed against the undercut and Hinata's answering groan travelled right to his cock, and he knew they were as good as gone.

His lips were pressed firmly to Hinata's as he took his time tasting him, and he loved how Hinata didn't just limply stand there but retaliated in kind, his own hands pushed through Kageyama's hair and gripped his back as he stood on his toes and tilted his head, searching for the best angle to deepen their kiss.

With great difficulty Kageyama let go of Hinata's hair and slide his hands down the man's sides and he felt the dips and muscles and he finally reached his back side and cupped the ass he had come to love dearly. Hinata moaned low and pushed his butt out a bit, and Kageyama kneaded the flesh in his hands before pulling Hinata up, forcing the man to wrap his legs around his waist. It made kissing easier and truth be told, Hinata was not heavy, plus the testosterone did wonders to Kageyama's strength.

Pressing Hinata right into the door, he kissed the man with renewed vigour and enthusiasm and Hinata's legs tightened around his waist and he could feel the need to connect through his entire being.

He pushed himself away from the door and walked further into the room but to Hinata's surprise, he didn't go for the bed. He placed the man's back against the glass door of their room and slowly let him down, refusing to detach his lips from Hinata's the entire time. He tasted so delicious, like maple syrup and coffee, probably from the breakfast buffet he missed.

He slid down to his knees in front of Hinata and pulled his sorts down in a swift, quick move, and before Hinata could even question or voice out an opinion of any kind, he took the man's half hard cock in his mouth and sucked, hard.

The shudder that travelled through  Hinata's entire body gave him an ego boost like no other and he continued his attack. He alternated between sucking and licking, occasionally pulling back to lavish the tip with attention and every whimper and curse that fell out of Hinata's lips were music to his ears.

He pulled back and pumped Hinata's dick with one hand while reaching up with the other and he pushed his fingers into Hinata's mouth, a silent command evident in his eyes. Hinata understood immediately and began sucking on them diligently, his eyes never leaving Kageyama's, the movement of his tongue far too lewd to be considered innocent. Kageyama felt his own cock twitch but he held himself back. Today, he wanted to be in control, and if that meant holding back his own desire for a blowjob, so be it.

Pulling off of Hinata's dick with a pop sound, Kageyama extracted his fingers from the orangehead's mouth and brought it to his entrance, slowly circling the ring of muscles before gently, oh so gently pushing his fingers in. Hinata keened and Kageyama couldn't help be a bit rough with him, because he knew Hinata liked it rough sometimes, he liked it hard and dirty.

Pushing his index all the way in, Kageyama pumped one finger in and out continuously before adding another and then the third and final, stretching Hinata out as much as possible without injuring him. Hinata gasped at the intrusion but relaxed his body and he finally began rutting against Kageyama's fingers, a motion so sexy Kageyama could feel the nosebleed coming.

Halting rather abruptly, he pulled all his fingers out and Hinata snarled at the loss but held himself back, and when Kageyama finally stood back up, he was blown away by the look of pure, unadulterated lust on Shouyou's face. The man was worrying his bottom lip with his teeth seductively and Kageyama leaned forward to kiss it away, replacing Hinata's teeth with his own, sucking at the plump flesh vigorously.

He turned Hinata around and Hinata braced the door with both hands, his legs automatically parted as he took a provocative stance in front of his lover. He looked back over his shoulder, his eyes intense and smouldering and even though Kageyama was in control, they both knew Hinata would always have some power as well.

"Make me forget my name," he growled, voice rough with arousal and that was the end of Kageyama's train of cognitive thought.

He grabbed Hinata's waist in a rather bruising grip and lined his throbbing cock against his twitching hole and smeared some of his precome at the entrance before pushing in slowly. Once his head was sheathed, he slammed right in, pulling a wrecked groan out of both of them. Hinata was hot and tight as hell, and his walls clamped down on Kageyama almost painfully and he knew if he wasn't careful, it would hurt both of them and he'd probably finish before they even started.

He waited for Hinata to get used to the intrusion, staying as still as possible and he was impressed with his own self restraint. When Hinata wiggled his hips beneath him, he growled in his ear before biting the lobe as he simultaneously slid out and slammed back in again. Hinata sighed out encouragement after encouragement and Kageyama set up a brutal pace, both enjoying the roughness of the act. Hinata matched him thrust for thrust and Kageyama couldn't stop himself even if he wanted to.

The view outside the window was beautiful and there was a sort of thrill about doing it so close to a transparent surface and risk getting caught. They were so high up that the probability of that was almost nil but the exhilaration was ever present, driving them both insane.

Every thrust brought him closer to the edge and he leaned forward, his front lined perfectly against Hinata's back.

"Think you can come from my cock alone?," he whispered, his voice breathless. Hinata laughed, the sound turning into a moan at a particularly deep thrust and he nodded and Kageyama felt empowered.

Moments later Kageyama realised he wanted to look at Hinata's face as he came, so he quickly withdrew and ignored Hinata's protest as he turned him around one last time and immediately pushed him up, and he sank right back into that warm, inviting heat he had become accustomed to, a heat so wonderful and familiar now, he wouldn't ever be anywhere else.

He didn't take it rough anymore, he went slow and soft, loving Hinata the way he deserved it. Hinata's face was a mess, mouth hanging open, spilling curse after curse, praise after praise, prayer after prayer. A small trail of saliva ran down his chin, his hair was a mess and his eyes lidded, the pupils dilated beyond recognition. He looked like the definition of the word wrecked.

It took a few more thrusts before the beautiful boy in his arms came undone and his walls clenched Kageyama in the most intimate of embraces, resulting in his climax as well. They just stood there for a bit, gasping and trying to catch their breath and when Kageyama looked up from Hinata's shoulder, he was greeted with kisses being planted all over his face and he smiled, kissing the smaller man back with equal love and vigour.

"So I take you like the haircut?," Hinata teased, his voice still hoarse. Kageyama flicked his forehead before kissing him again and looked away, embarrassed at how badly he had lost control.

"You could... say that."

~~(\•.•/)~~

They just roamed around on the beach for the next few days, buying souvenirs and other gifts for the people back at home. The food was an absolute delight and the gang made it a point to try everything, which resulted in many a stomach aches and complaints.

When it was finally time to leave, Hinata felt the sadness well up in him but at the same time he was excited to be back home. He loved his life and he loved the people in it and he couldn't wait to go back to the store and start up some new sketches.

The car ride back wasn't particularly noisy, most of the occupants opting to sleep rather than say or do anything. It was actually calm, the only source of noise came from the stereo which was playing old, classic English music.

Hinata was wide awake, but the atmosphere in the vehicle was soothing, and his limbs felt heavy. Kageyama had fallen asleep almost immediately, and he was leaning into Hinata, his head on top of Hinata's. He was heavy but he smelt nice and his warmth was comforting so Hinata didn't complain, but his heart did beat rather erratically.

Iwaizumi was driving again and he held Oikawa's hand throughout the entire journey, occasionally pulling their entwined hands to his lips to kiss the back of Oikawa's palm. The gesture made both Hinata and Oikawa blush, but Hinata couldn't fight off his smile. He loved how happy Iwaizumi was because he still felt like he was the reason Iwaizumi never dated and found love of his own, and it put him at ease every time he was presented with a reason as to why Oikawa and Iwaizumi were simply perfect for each other.

He drifted off to Oikawa singing a lullaby along with the radio, and he was just so happy, it hurt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iwaizumi had dropped off Oikawa and Kageyama first before making his way back home with Hinata. Kageyama missed his lover already but he knew they had to unpack and get the bar back up and running so that they could resume business again that same night. Kageyama was up for the task- every bartender he had encountered during their trip made his blood boil with their distinct lack of skill and he wanted to confirm and see for himself that he was in fact, better than them.

He stormed into the building ahead of Oikawa but stopped short when his name passed the man's lips.

"Tobio-chan, you've got mail."

He turned around slowly, his confusion and curiosity spiking. He did get mail but it was very rare, practically non existent. Slowly retracing his steps, he pulled the letter out of Oikawa's hands and looked at it. It was a plain white envelope and it was indeed addressed to him, the handwriting neat and intricate.

His curiosity got the better of him and he slowly tore it open, pulling out a few sheets of paper stapled together. His blood ran cold when he read the heading on the first page.

_**It was a will.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .... *insert dramatic music* 
> 
> Id say we have about 3 chapters left?


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's mentions of death in here so please read with caution. 
> 
> I actually spoke to my best friend about this- how he'd react in Kageyama's situation and he said the same thing I was thinking. 
> 
> Apologies for the delayed update, and I hope you enjoy! ^^

Death wasn't something anyone could prepare you for, Kageyama realised. It wasn't some event whose blow could be softened by a few kind words from Oikawa or a tight hug, and he felt like his entire world was caving beneath him all because of some news on a piece of paper.

He hadn't read further than the title, he didn't need to. It was pretty self explanatory, which was the worst part. There was no way for him to be eased into this, no less painful way for him to be the recipient of such news.

He was vaguely aware of the fact that he was being held close to a solid, warm body and it felt good but the other person wasn't the one he wanted. He appreciated Oikawa for trying, and he did love him, regardless of how they irritated each other to this very day but right now, right this very moment, he needed a tinier, more intimate embrace.

He pulled away from Oikawa's embrace and the look of pain and utter sadness in the man's chocolate brown eyes really hit home for him- a man as suave and confident and as emotionally stable as Oikawa was looking at him with a mind and body that screamed despair and that's when it came crashing down on him.

"Go," was all Oikawa whispered and he didn't say where or how or anything. He didn't need to- there was one place Kageyama needed to be right now, there was one person he had to see and touch and lean on. He had to meet his person.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hinata was in high spirits when he finally arrived home. He'd never had such a perfect vacation before, and he knew his feelings for the ravenhead had only deepened over the course of the few days on the beach. He was difficult and stubborn and an overall pain, but he was Hinata's and he wouldn't have him any other way.

Iwaizumi knocked on the door softly and they heard the soft thud of footsteps approaching the door. It was swung open and Naru stood on the other side, her blonde hair mussed up adorably. She was rubbing her eyes and yawning slightly, and she was wearing a very large shirt and some tights. Hinata resisted the urge to glomp her and chose to beam at her instead.

"Morning, Naru-chan," Hinata crooned and Iwaizumi huffed out a laugh as Naru sleepily took in the people in front of her before her eyes widened and she blushed furiously.

"I-I, um...,"

"Naru, who is it?"

"Come here and find out dummy," Hinata hollered and Natsu barrelled out of her room and grinned at him.

"Welcome back, Nii-chan, Haji!"

"We're home," they both said softly and Naru moved aside as the two stepped in. Hinata could swear Iwaizumi's shoulders relaxed when he took in the house and realised that Natsu had in fact, not burned it down. He sniggered at the thought and covered up the sound by clearing his throat.

"You hungry? I'm making French toast," Natsu muttered as she walked back into the kitchen.

"Yeah, two for me please," Hinata said as he moved towards his room and dumped his bags inside, resisting the urge to jump into the inviting bed. It was only 4 in the evening, and if he slept now, he'd mess up his sleep cycle like crazy.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Hinata walked back into the room that now smelled of orange juice, coffee and the unmistakeable smell of well made French toast. Grabbing a plate and two pieces for himself, he poured some water in a glass and took a seat at the table, and he was happy to see that Naru didn't seem too nervous anymore, even smiling at him broadly as she worked on something on her laptop.

"Thank you staying with Natsu, Naru-kun," Iwaizumi said, his voice soft and genuine. Naru blushed deeply but nodded, and Natsu sat next to her and the two soon struck up a conversation that held no meaning to Iwaizumi or Hinata.

"So when you opening up the shop again?," Iwaizumi asked, chewing on a slice of bread and absently playing with his phone.

"I'm thinking tomorrow since it's normally a working day for us and all," Hinata said and swallowed, taking another bite and chewing slowly, thoroughly.

"Hmm.. Don't you want a tiny break? Maybe sort of relax a bit?"

"Wasn't that the whole point of the vacation?," Hinata laughed and he was cut off by the sound of loud knocking on the door, bordering banging. He and Iwaizumi eyed each other warily before Hinata got up and reached the door.

"I'm coming, don't get your panties in a twist," he grumbled as he swung the door open and to his surprise, it wasn't some weird business man or a crazy neighbour, just his boyfriend.

"Kageyama?," he said, and when the man looked him dead in the eye, a chill ran down Hinata's spine at the intensity of Kageyama's gaze, at how heavy and foreboding it seemed. It rooted Hinata to the spot, and it wasn't a particularly pleasant sensation. It was beginning to upset him.

"Babe, what's wro-"

He didn't really get a chance to finish as Kageyama stepped forward and slumped into his arms, his head making contact with Hinata's shoulder, and his arms remained by his side. Hinata reached forward and grabbed him, keeping them both upright and bearing his weight with no issues, but he was becoming increasingly worried and with good reason- not once had he seen Kageyama quite so devastated and so plainly.... Sad.

He was used to seeing the man cover up his emotions and admit them rather reluctantly to Hinata after much persuasion from the shorter male but this was certainly a first and while Hinata appreciated his honesty and straightforwardness, it scared him shitless because a gut feeling told him that something was wrong.

"Babe, you ok? What's the matter?"

A shudder ran through Kageyama's entire frame and he slowly crumpled to the floor, taking Hinata with them and they both just sat down right at the entrance, Kageyama's head still resting on his shoulder, refusing to look at him, and if one looked closely, they could feel the light tremors running through the man's body at continuos intervals- it was truly frightening.

"Hey, who was it?" Iwaizumi asked as he appeared by the door way and he frowned at the scene before him. His gaze rested on Kageyama's hand and he slowly pointed at it and when Hinata focused his attention there, he noticed him clutching a paper with a death grip, his knuckles white with the effort.

He slowly but surely pried the piece of paper out of his hand and within the first two lines, his gut feeling proved to be right and he felt like crying but he needed to be strong- his lover needed him now more than ever, and his own grief could take a temporary back seat. He knew it was the right thing to do.

"Oh babe," he whispered in the man's ear as he pulled him ever so close, hugging him as tight as his small body would allow and a sob left Kageyama's lips, a tiny, weak sound, a sound so unlike him it almost physically hurt Hinata to have to listen to it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kageyama had finally gone to sleep but Hinata didn't dare leave his side, didn't dare to move from their current position. Kageyama was laying partially on him, his arm looped around Hinata's torso as his head lay in the crook of his neck, and their legs were all tangled together. Hinata wasn't sure how much time had passed but he hadn't left Kageyama's side the whole time. He had heard Iwaizumi on the phone, probably with Oikawa and the man had slipped in once to leave some sleeping pills, pain medication and snacks and had left after giving Kageyama a heavy pat on the back, filled with his condolences.

Kageyama didn't cry the way people normally did- he didn't sob out loud and bawl, he didn't make a single noise. His body shook, his body shook fiercely and tears streamed down his face and his voice was clogged but not once did he actually cry out. Hinata had rocked him back and forth, trying to pacify him to the best of his abilities.

They didn't speak much, in fact they didn't really speak at all. Hinata simply whispered to him that he's there for him and for him to let it all out. He would occasionally sing for him, hum a tune maybe and when the exhaustion had finally gotten to the poor man, he had simple passed out, thus resulting in his current situation.

Hinata glanced over to the nightstand and slowly reached out, grabbing hold of the will. His one arm was trapped under Kageyama's head and he continued to stroke his hair lovingly, as soothingly as possible. Draping his other hand over Kageyama, he held the paper behind his head and slowly opened it.

Normally, he would've respected someone's privacy and not poked around but he knew for a fact that Kageyama hadn't actually checked the contents and he knew he wouldn't do so anytime soon. He also knew that the man would ask him to do it anyway. He didn't need Kageyama to say it out loud- something's could be communicated just via the other persons thoughts and desires.

He slowly skimmed the content and the page before the actual will was a letter from a lawyer presumably and Hinata read it carefully.

_Dear Kageyama Tobio,_

_I am your parents' lawyer and have been their friend for many years. It pains me deeply to have to tell you this via a letter but a month ago, your parents died, both within a week's span. Your mother's schizophrenia got worse even after medication and she ended up killing herself, unable to tolerate the hallucinations anymore. Your father died of alcohol poisoning, as he simply could not cope with losing his last family member. In his mind, he'd already lost you because of his own foolishness, and he never believed me when I tried to convince him otherwise._

_I'd love to tell you that they got better, that they were trying but that was simply not the case. Their home was a mess, and as much as I tried to help, they pushed all forms of assistance away. I did not give up, and yet, the end result leaves me mortified._

_I wished to have told you sooner but you were harder than I thought to trace. You never left any contact info and you never came back home or left a message, so I had to track you down, hence the delay. Their funerals have been completed, but there's an address below should you choose to go pay your respects. I believe the grave is not far away from your current home._

_Their will had been drafted before your sister's death and the only change I made was that you get everything since you're the sole heir._

_My deepest condolences Mr Kageyama. I hope you are well and in good health. You may not know this, but your mother lost huge portions of her memory due her condition but she would remember you a lot, and she would smile fondly. Your father would tell me how proud he was of you for being brave enough to get up and leave, and I must say I agree. It was not an easy decision, but you made the right choice._

_Please proceed to read the contents of their will, and contact me should you have any concerns. My number is xxxxxxxx._

Hinata didn't realise he was actually crying until he felt the wetness on his cheek, and he sniffled softly. He kept the will away as he tried to dry his face and took deep, calming breaths before picking it back up, and he turned the page.

Most of the content of the will was pretty basic stuff, and he made sure not to check the value of anything, because he didn't want to know that without Kageyama telling him. He skipped over to the last few pages and he suddenly encountered another page that was handwritten rather than typed, much like the lawyer's letter.

It was another letter, and this time it was from Kageyama's mother. Hinata immediately closed it and took in some deep, much needed, calming breaths. A letter from his lawyer was one thing, a letter from his mother however was a whole different ballgame.

He knew though, he knew he had to read it. If it contained information that could possibly wound Kageyama any further than this, he would keep it aside until he was ready to read it. He didn't want his boyfriend to break any further- he certainly didn't deserve such pain. No one did.

Slowly pulling the letter back up, Hinata opened it carefully, his hands shaking. He was so afraid of the contents and he read it slowly, absorbing each word once and for all so he didn't have to read it again.

_My dearest Tobio,_

_You don't know this at this point of time (you're only 5) that I am schizophrenic. It's a disease you'll learn about someday but it'll basically make me say and do things that aren't very nice, and I may harm you and your sister and your father the most, since you're all the closest to me._

_You need to know this- I love you. I love you with all my heart Tobio and irrespective of what I do in the future, I just want you to know that the way I feel about you will never change. This letter is just to give you some advice based on real experiences from my life, and I hope this helps. If you're reading this I'm probably dead, but that thought doesn't make me too sad, especially since all that I want to say to you, or wish to tell you is in this letter._

_First and foremost, fall in love. Fall in love at least once in your life and if you're lucky enough, keep your loved one close. Don't ever give up on them or yourself- life's too short to fight and make a mess._

_Gender doesn't matter. At all. Fall in love with who you like. Be friends with who you think is worthy of your time and attention. Do not judge a person based on looks or wealth. Be kind to every stranger you meet- you may have just made their day. The little actions count, never forget that._

_You're a strong person Tobio, even as a five year old. You're stubborn and protective and passionate. Keep your loved ones safe and play nice ok? And never hesitate to reveal your true feelings when you need to. It's not weakness, it is true strength._

_Do you remember that time we-_

Hinata stopped reading and muffled his sobs against Kageyama's shirt, and he simply could not imagine where to begin. This letter would break Kageyama but not the way he thought it would. Hinata couldn't help but wish he had a memento like this from his mother but he knew what he had now was enough. It would always be enough and more. He's happy, and that's all that truly matters.

He slowly kept the papers back as he dried away his tears and Kageyama was still embracing him tightly, and he didn't let go of him either. Broken though his family was, Kageyama turned out perfectly fine and Hinata knew he fell in love with Kageyama as is, and he wouldn't have him any other way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a cloudy, grey sky above their heads as they stood in front of two headstones, both designs simple yet elegant, the writing bold and impressionable.

It took Kageyama a long time to accept the death of his parents and as they lay in bed one night, Kageyama confessed his deepest, darkest sadness to Hinata and it made his heart ache.

"I fucking hate it because I don't miss them nearly as much as I should.. I- I loved them but their loss, even though it's a shock, hasn't affected me as deeply as it should and that sucks so bad. I feel so guilty and there's this constant stream of regret coursing through my veins, mingling with my tainted blood.

I... I will never see them again. I'll never get to say sorry, or make up with them, or have mom's onigiri, or watch volleyball matches with dad and do a few tosses, nothing. This regret is so painful my world feels like it's being dragged down."

Hinata knew there was no way to actually ease the feeling of regret. He let Kageyama vent over and over again and he cried with him sometimes when he felt overwhelmed as well, the two of them baring all to the other. It was difficult at first, but Hinata believed they came out of this much stronger than ever.

Kageyama had two flower bouquets in his hand, and he took in a shaky breath before placing one bouquet on each grave. Touching the top just briefly, Kageyama came back to Hinata's side and took his hand in his own.

"Mom, dad, this is Hinata," he said, his voice almost devoid of emotion, "and he's my lover."

Hinata's eyes widened as he noticed how lovingly Kageyama said that last statement. It was with a voice filled with warmth and love and Hinata felt his heart swell in his chest as he tightened his grip around the man's fingers.

"I have loved him for a while now, and I know if mom was alive, she'd love him. Dad would probably need a few meetings before he warmed up to him but irrespective, he would've loved him as I do now."

Kageyama smiled softly, his voice a bare whisper.

"I'm happy, you guys. You don't have to worry. Maybe I'll see you again in another life, maybe Hinata will be there with me as well, and maybe you guys can finally meet. Until next time," he muttered as he slowly touched the tombstones again, "I'll see you guys."

Hinata adamantly held back the tears. Maybe Kageyama couldn't forgive them, but someday he knew the man would finally get closure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was almost anticlimactic how everything returned to normal in a matter of days after that but somethings had definitely changed, and it wasn't just between Hinata and Kageyama.

Death served as a reminder of how fragile and finite a human life was, and all the men began cherishing their partners more, even if it meant doing something as simple as saying _I love you_ more often.

Kageyama would still sometimes just blank out but he felt strong every time he saw Hinata's smile and it was a wonderful feeling. He knew he'd be ok, even if the pain was overwhelming sometimes.

Hinata was sitting in his booth at Murder when Kageyama walked in with lunch. After casually greeting the people there, he plopped down in a seat opposite to Hinata's and pulled out some chicken rolls with extra mayo.

They ate in comfortable silence until Kageyama remembered something important.

"Oy, Hinata."

"Yeah?"

"I have a favour to ask you," he said, as he bit into the delicious roll again.

"Oh ok. What's up?"

"Well the house my parents left me... It's two cities away and that lawyer guy wants me to check it out, maybe help clean it a little so I can finally rent it out. It's easier to allow someone to stay there than maintain it long distance on my own. Plus it's pretty prime property, so we should get a tenant easily enough.

I was wondering if you could, I don't know, maybe join me? We could go over the weekend?"

He wasn't fooling Hinata at all. He sounded perfectly cool but Hinata noticed the way he tightened his grip on the roll and he knew that house held some bad memories for him so he knew there was really only one answer.

"Sure," he agreed, slowly lacing their fingers together and giving it a squeeze before pulling away.

"Have they changed their garlic mayo? Cause it's delicious!," Hinata said, licking his lips.

"I think so. Isn't it too much garlic though?"

"You take that back right now. _Too much garlic_ \- are you crazy? Such a thing doesn't exist."

Kageyama struggled to keep a straight face and Hinata smiled. If he could be a source of comfort and happiness to the man he loved, he knew he was definitely doing something right.

And boy did Hinata love Kageyama more than he'd ever thought himself capable. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 chapters left folks! I've had the ending planned since forever and im warning you- it's gonna be cheesy af. xD 
> 
> Thank you for reading, comments and kudos are always appreciated <3


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a small spoiler- Kageyama gets a lip ring. And the reason I'm telling you this is so you can check out this amazing [art](http://36.media.tumblr.com/8784052d6c68a83f30f1cc8aac9c1c25/tumblr_o2wjn7I5QQ1se5tp4o2_1280.jpg) by [rubsomepinkinit](http://rubsomepinkinit.tumblr.com/) and [this](http://ainudraws.tumblr.com/post/139912709126/hinata-and-kageyama-from-ink-and-whiskey-read) stellar piece by [Ainu](http://ainudraws.tumblr.com/) <3 
> 
> I requested both pieces to use as reference and was blown away by the result! Anyway, go ahead and read and I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Also! Yachi's outfit was inspired by [this](http://octorina.tumblr.com/image/113476848538) adorable piece by [Rina](http://octorina.tumblr.com/) *thank you for the permission babe*

Kageyama was avoiding Hinata, of this the orangehead was certain. 

 

It had been roughly 2 months since the entire fiasco with the will and his parents and while things had quieted down and normalcy was being established, Kageyama still had some quiet moments, moments where he'd prefer to be alone or just get lost in a world unknown to Hinata. Hinata respected that, he really did because he knew something as overwhelmingly upsetting as your parents death was not something a person got over in a fixed period of time. He even had personal experience in this field. 

 

So yes, he did give Kageyama his space an he was there for him when needed, but now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen his raven-haired boyfriend in almost 3 days, which was a lot considering their work places were right next to each other.

 

It was a Thursday afternoon, and Hinata was sterilising his equipment after an interesting session with a client. They had a nice story to tell and the two of them chatted as Hinata finished their panther tattoo. His job distracted him but then, as he threw away the empty bottle of ink and the used pin, but his frustration began to surface again. 

 

Space was one thing, being avoided was another. He could definitely handle being a considerate boyfriend, but not seeing his lover's face for multiple days in a row was torture, especially since he got so used to it.

 

Sighing deeply, he finished all his cleaning up before getting up to throw the waste in the bin and making his way to the reception. Yachi wasn't behind the desk like she normally was, so he simply slumped against the front, frowning deeply. Had he done something? Was there something else on Kageyama's mind? Was he fe-

 

"Oh Hinata, what's up?," Yachi's cheery voice interrupted his dark thoughts and he looked to the side, eyes raising appreciatively at her super cute outfit. 

 

Yachi was an adorable human being with an interesting twist- she had a tiny stature and scared easily around large people and strangers, but she was daring enough to place piercings on herself in locations that were known to hurt the most. She overcame her fear of blood so she could become a piercer herself, yet she never lost the essence of her personality, the part of her that made her heart-meltingly charming.

 

She was currently donning tiny black cut off shorts that really showed off her beautiful pale skin and toned legs, and a brown sweater that said - "Pretty People make me Pretty Nervous". Her blonde hair was tied in its famous side pony style and her smile was icing on the cake. Hinata couldn't help the almost automatic upturn of his own lips before his thoughts pulled them back into a frown.

 

"Kageyama is ignoring me and I dunno why." 

 

Hinata immediately noticed how Yachi stiffened at the mention of his boyfriend, and he found it very suspicious. As hard as she always tried, Yachi couldn't keep secrets or hide things, especially from people that knew her as well as Hinata. Before he could call her out though, she began talking rapidly and Hinata was suddenly bombarded by information.

 

"So I have the details for this client, and this months rent is payed, a new theme has come out and I think it'll suit our website- call Kenma and make an appointment ok? And I've placed an order for some ink as well, shipment should arrive day a-"

 

"Yachi," Hinata said, his voice exposing what he wanted from her, what information he was in desperate need off.

 

As if it were planned that way, Kiyoko walked in, looking stunning in a simple denim jumpsuit with one of the straps casually hanging off her shoulder. Her eyes sought out Yachi and when she saw her, her entire face lit up with a small smile as her eyes crinkled. 

 

She walked up to the two of them, nodding a greeting to Hinata before grabbing Yachi's chin gently and pulling her face up, kissing her lips with such tenderness, Hinata had to look away, face blazing. When Kiyoko pulled away, he peeked over at Yachi and doubled over as he noticed how she seemed so shocked- there was steam coming out of her ears. 

 

"Ready for lunch?," Kiyoko asked, and Yachi simply nodded, not seeming to trust her voice. As she carefully began packing her purse, she faced Hinata and smiled. 

 

"Shou," she muttered, "he has a surprise for you, ok? And he doesn't want to ruin it so just please, trust him. You should be able to meet him in another day or so." 

 

"A surprise?" Hinata felt his entire body relax almost immediately. At least he knew he wasn't being ignored for any serious reason. He finally let the issue go and stuck his tongue out at Yachi. 

 

"Fine, fine." 

 

She giggled and pecked his cheek before weaving her fingers through Kiyoko's as they made their way out and the very public display of affection made him miss his own partner, and he hoped this damned surprise would be worth it.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It was slightly chilly as Hinata stood outside the shop and locked up. He wasn't dressed to deal with cold weather of any kind and he couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through his body, making him curse under his breath. He quickly finished locking up but just as he pocketed the key, a voice sounded behind him and alerted him of a presence nearby. 

 

"Shouyou." 

 

Of course Hinata could identify that voice anywhere, and he was equal parts mad and happy at finally being able to hear his boyfriend's voice in person after so long. He turned around, trying his best to mask his smile in favour of yelling at the ravenhead instead but the sight that greeted him made him stop in his tracks, made his breath hitch and his eyes widen in complete and utter surprise. 

 

For the most part, Kageyama looked his normal self, maybe slightly thinner. He had lost weight after the whole fiasco because his appetite had diminished significantly but Hinata has noticed an increase in it before Kageyama began ignoring him. It was pretty ease to understood where the weight loss came from though. 

 

He was wearing some casual clothes- a shirt and a tee, a few bracelets and the like and there, on the left hand corner of his mouth, was- a spider bite lip piercing.

 

Hinata simply stared at it, and the more he looked, the hotter it seemed. The two rings looked like they belonged in his mouth, and he looked sheepish, his right hand ruffling the hair at the back of his neck. 

 

"Yo-you-"

 

"It was supposed to be surprise and it hadn't fully healed until this morning," Kageyama confessed, his embarrassment growing. "Yachi did it for me and she's been checking up on it regularly so... Uh... Do you like it?" 

 

Hinata couldn't have controlled himself even if he tried as he lurched forward and pulled Kageyama down urgently before pressing their lips together, the cool metal making him groan. He had a bit of a piercing fetish but he didn't really tell Kageyama because he didn't see the need to. Yachi knew though, maybe that's why the little minx had agreed to do this.

 

"I love it," Hinata breathed, his lips still close to Kageyama's and he smiled, eyes still looking at the black loops. "Why the sudden piercing though? It can't be just to surprise me, right?" 

 

"A change was necessary," Kageyama mumbled against his lips as he leaned forward and bumped their foreheads together. "So much has happened and I wanted some kind of change that wouldn't allow me to forget this. Maybe it'll help remind me every morning to cherish the ones I love and not take, you know, everything for granted." 

 

Hinata's heart clenched in his chest as he reached up and pecked the corner of Kageyama's mouth before hugging him tight, arms wrapped firmly around his waist. Kageyama drew him close and hugged him back just as hard, and they stood like that for a long, long time. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kageyama and Hinata were standing in front of his old house, and the ravenhead felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of memories that suddenly surfaced to the forefront of his mind. He knew, no matter how long it has been since he last visited, this place would always bring out a reaction from him, whether he liked it or not and he hated how this place had such power over him, even after all this time.

 

It hadn't changed, at least not by much. The lawn was still unkept- worse even, because no one had been here in over a month. The paint was peeling off and had faded, a small crack in the window on the left side of the house. The front door was a sturdy piece of wood that still had the engravings he and his sister had made as children. 

 

He brushed his fingers against it and he could very faintly hear her laugh. It was so soft, merely a ghostly whisper, but it was beautiful, oh so beautiful. Natsu reminded him of her sometimes, and over the course of his relationship with Hinata, Kageyama had also become Natsu's friend. Of course, she didn't fill the void left by his own sister, but it was a start. 

 

Hinata stood next to him quietly, ever the patient soul. He never pushed Kageyama in places where he knew the ravenhead was still sensitive and for that he was grateful. The orangehead simply looked around curiously as Kageyama reached into his pocket for the key that had been delivered to his house after he had called the lawyer and confirmed that he would, in fact, be visiting the house. 

 

"There it is," he mumbled to himself as his fingers brushed against it and he pulled it out, holding it near the lock. Taking a deep breath, he placed the key inside the lock and turned, and when the lock opened smoothly, he released his breath in a gush, his gut churning with nerves.

 

He didn't want to go in.

 

He had to go in.

 

"We can- uh - wait a bit more maybe?," Hinata offered, eyes wide. "I mean, we could go back to the hotel and come tomorrow!" 

 

"No, no I don't.... I want to get this over with. You know, rip the bandaid off quickly and all that?"

 

Hinata nodded in agreement and slowly pushed the door open. Kageyama chewed on his lip, the upper one making contact with the new black rings and he realised he had changed. Everything had changed. Maybe the physical part of the house hadn't. But he had- both physically and mentally. And most importantly, he had his pillar of strength right next to him. He was going to be fine, even if it wasn't going to be that way right this instant. 

 

The house smelled the same. It always smelt slightly musky, a bit like sandalwood but there was a staleness in the air and it had nothing to do with the fact that the house had been unoccupied for a month. 

 

There were portraits on the walls, so many of them. His father loved taking photographs, and he was pretty good at it. His mother was good with her hands and often made the frames they used. Most of the photos were candid, depicting natural beauty in its most flattering form. 

 

Each picture told a story, and all the walls were covered with pictures that told stories of a happier time. Of a time when his sister was alive and his mother was ok and his father wasn't break. There was sunlight and daffodils and watermelon juice. There wasn't hunger and pain and an unprecedented amount of darkness, a world that encompassed most of Kageyama's middle and high school life. He remembered almost breaking a lot of the frames when he passed by them, frustrated at how they seemed to be mocking him with their happiness. 

 

He found himself drawn to one particular photo. His father had set the timer so he could be in it as well and the smiles, oh the smiles were so beautiful, so real. She had slightly crooked teeth, he noticed, just like his dad but it wasn't unattractive. It was really cute. Their eyes shone and it was a reminder that maybe his life in this house sucked but there was a time, a long time ago, when this house was filled with love. And maybe those were the memories he should hang on to, and associate this otherwise dreadful place with. 

 

"You were so cute, holy shit," Hinata said, eyes nearly popping out of his skull as he drank in every photo. His undercut still looked so hot, and he had decided to keep it, shaving it every week. His favourite dragon earring was in place and he was wearing a full sleeve tee shirt, his tattoos peaking out from beneath. His profile looked so attractive, and for one moment Kageyama forgot where he was and marveled at the beauty of the man beside him, a man he called his lover and partner. 

 

"What happened to you?," Hinata asked, cocking his head and Kageyama took everything back. Pulling his head into a headlock, he noogied him roughly before Hinata managed to squirm his way out and laugh, and suddenly, the house wasn't dark anymore. The laugh echoed everywhere and it just brightened the whole place, as if some kind of metaphorical windows were thrown open, allowing the sunshine to pour in to its hearts content. 

 

Kageyama grabbed Hinata's hand and squeezed it gently before giving him a tour of the house. He took him to each room- the kitchen, the living room, the dining area, the office, his bedroom and he found himself opening up to the orangehead, telling him stories associated with each room. He told him about how he and his sister once managed to make pancakes with no help, only to realise they had used salt instead of sugar and there were still shell pieces in the final product but their parents are them anyway. He told him about how he painted the entire wall with stick figures and anime characters and his parents spent the whole night cleaning it, him helping out of sheer guilt and they forgave him easily enough.

 

He spoke about the times he had those terrible nightmares and would crawl into his sister's bed, just like Hinata did (does) and how there was a volleyball net in the back he used to practise. His sister would spike his tosses and she was actually pretty good.

Hinata was a good listener when he tried to be, and was also good at comforting Kageyama. He simply squeezed the man's fingers as the tears streamed down the ravenhead's face, the memories too much to bear but Hinata noticed a sort of finality in the salty drops and he had a gut feeling that those were the last tears Kageyama was going to shed for this.

They began cleaning each room one by one, which wasn't too hard since Kageyama's dad had sold a lot of the stuff for money he used to gamble. They kept the topics of conversation light between them, and the more they spoke, the more the tension left Kageyama's shoulders. Feeling encouraged, Hinata tried to make new memories in the house and while he didn't necessarily succeed, he wouldn't call getting Kageyama to smile a failure of any sort either. 

At dusk, the two of them decided to take a well deserved break. They sat outside on the veranda, the volleyball net hanging limply between the two tree trunks, empty instant noodle cups littered near their feet. They both had a beer in hand, and they simply gazed at the sunset, a moment of true piece and tranquility enveloping them. It was a wondrous sight- how the golden rays hit every surface just the right way, how the breeze made everything cool but only pleasantly so. It also gave Hinata a reason to cuddle into Kageyama, but he knew he didn't really need one. 

"Shouyou," Kageyama muttered, voice uncharacteristically quiet.

"Yeah?"

"Do we have to... move on?"

"What do you mean?," Hinata asked, sitting up. Kageyama's back left the door as well and he faced Hinata, a look of conflict decorating his features. 

"I mean...I want to move on. But at the same time, do I have to? Can't I live with this and be ok?"

"But why would you do that to yourself?" 

"Like I said, I don't want to forget- the hardships, the pain and misery and all that. But also," Kageyama continued before Hinata could interrupt him, "I don't want to forget the good stuff. I don't want to forget my mom's laugh or my sister's pout or the way my dad whistled. I don't want to forget the feel of the net in front of us, or the musky smell of the house. I don't want to forget the food and the childish fights and the lullabies my mom always sang slightly off key. Those memories are my childhood, you know? And if dealing with the dark side of my past is a part of the deal, I don't care. I just don't want to forget.

Those memories, all of them- good, bad or ugly, made me who I am today, and for that I am thankful."

Hinata's lips curved into a small smile. "That.... Yeah, that'll work. That's perfectly alright, I think. Whatever makes you happy." 

His answering grin was slightly goofy and Hinata stuck his tongue out before turning to the sunset again. He could hear the sound of the crickets chirping and the leaves rustling, and he took in a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. They had taken a flight to get here, and they were far away from pretty much every metropolitan city, so the air was fresher, the traffic close to none and overall, the place was actually really pleasant, a very nice change of pace.

"Hey Kageyama," Hinata drawled as he bumped his shoulder into the ravenheads, finishing his beer in a few sips. Kageyama downed some of his own before answering, "Yeah?" 

"We both have a lot of bad memories, a lot of baggage and shit but I kinda just thought of something that could help make this whole situation better." 

"Yeah? And what's that?" 

The sun had finally set completely, and to Hinata's utter astonishment, small golden balls had suddenly become visible. Fireflies, he realized and jumped up, chasing a few. He laughed gleefully as he caught some before releasing them immediately, and watched them fly away. He turned back to Kageyama and smiled his brightest and in that moment, he honestly outshone all the fireflies by a mile. 

"We just gotta make lots of happy memories of our own, right?" 

Kageyama was at a loss of words. He downed his beer before keeping the bottle aside and stood up, slowly making his way over to Hinata. Wrapping his arms around his waist, he pulled him close and kissed his forehead, his nose, his cheeks, and finally his lips and Hinata almost automatically sucked on the ring and Kageyama was definitely convinced that those were a good idea. He pulled away and the light of the fireflies were the only thing illuminating Hinata's face, everything else fading to black and he didn't even care. All he needed to see was this one person's face, hear this one person's voice and with that, he'd be ok.

"Sounds like a plan to me." 

Hinata's answering laugh echoed through the house as yet another memory was made, and it was simple and childish and beautiful.

Just like the man in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was that ok? Oh man, I'm really nervous about this one
> 
> Next chapter is the epilogue which takes place after a time skip! ^^
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are appreciated, thanks for reading! <3


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I forget, a huge thank you to Bhavna for making this lovely piece of [art](http://kidovna.tumblr.com/post/139989054550/what-was-it-that-you-said-about-morning-people) for me! <3 it's wonderful, I love it so much :3 
> 
> And so this story draws to its conclusion. I hope you enjoy and a very important note- please listen to [this song](http://youtu.be/ml9W7fV11Y4) before or while reading. It creates a much better impact, trust me. 
> 
> I've changed the pronouns in the lyrics from she to he, for, you know, obvious reasons. :3

**TWO YEARS LATER**

It was a peaceful Monday evening. The members of Murder had decided to take a well deserved day off, considering how much their workload had increased in the past few months. Apparently, owning a great tattoo shop next to one of the most popular bars in the state made business thrive, and Hinata always thanked his luck and stars. As much as he appreciated the busy hours though, he knew he had to take care of his employees, and after careful planning, they finally had a proper day off.

Predictably enough, they all ended up in The King's Court, as they often did when the group had nowhere else to be, and they felt so at home. Hinata noticed how the furniture had been reupholstered but essentially, the bar had maintained its famous Victorian modern chic fusion interior. It really did look tasteful, not overdone but not lacking grandeur of any sort either. Again, it was proof of Oikawa's brilliance, and the man had only managed to raise the rankings of his bar, making it a must visit location.

They still had over an hour before they opened, and everyone had gathered in the largest seating area of the bar, having finished their preparations. Kuroo and Kenma were having a rather animated discussion with Asahi and Nishinoya, and even Kenma seemed mildly affected by Yuu's enthusiasm. Suga and Daichi were talking to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima and by reading the blonde's body language, one could tell that he seemed at ease, and there was even a small, almost nonexistent smile on his face. He really had gotten used to the place and its people.

Akaashi and Bokuto were conversing with Iwaizumi and Oikawa and Hinata found it endearing, how Oikawa had showed off his ring to everyone, and Iwaizumi didn't scold him at all, just looked embarrassed. It was adorable. They'd gotten engaged just a few days prior and Hinata never failed to congratulate them on an almost day to day basis. He could feel his guilt slip away, and he was just so ecstatic that Iwaizumi had found someone that made him so happy.

Hinata finally looked at his boyfriend standing on the other side of the bar, casually wiping glasses and humming to himself. He had his apron on, and he looked so comfortable, so at home. Hinata mixed his drink in languid, lazy motions, and just stared at him. It didn't matter how often he saw the man, he was still taken by surprise when he noticed how attractive he was. That lip ring was still there, the black loops a staunch contrast against his paler complexion and if Oikawa was telling him the truth, apparently the number of female patrons had increased considerably since the man had pierced himself. It made Hinata smirk- he could allow them to ogle but there was definitely a strict no touching rule.

"Oye, dumbass, what are you staring at?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing, just contemplating your sexiness."

Kageyama stared at him for five seconds without blinking before his face turned cherry red, and he looked everywhere except at his boyfriend.

"Hinata, you idio- don't say shit like that with a straight face!"

"Oh Kageyama-kun, are you shy?," Hinata teased and Kageyama smacked him lightly on the head. He laughed before standing up and stretching.

"I gotta use the restroom and maybe catch up with Akaashi-San and Bokuto-San. Join us when you're done, ok?"

"Sure," Kageyama nodded and discreetly watched his boyfriend leave. The moment Hinata was out of view, he tried to catch Iwaizumi's attention.

"Iwaizumi-san!"

Iwaizumi turned to face him and stood up, slowly making his way over.

"What's up, Kageyama?"

"Um... I actually have something to ask you.."

"And what might that be?," Iwaizumi mused, voice laced with curiosity.

"Remember, about three weeks ago, when you asked me if I approved of you asking Oikawa-san to marry you?"

"Iwa-chan! You asked him? Oh my god, that's so sweet," Oikawa crooned as he shamelessly joined their conversation and a quick glance at their table told Kageyama that HInata had joined Bokuto and Akaashi and probably wouldn't make his way over for a bit.

"Shut up, trashkawa," Iwaizumi grumbled but gently grabbed Oikawa's hand, kissing his knuckles. "Yeah, I remember. What about it?"

"I was wondering if... Maybe... You know.... You'd approve."

"Approve what, exactly?"

"Me asking Hinata t-th-the same thing. Marriage."

Iwaizumi's eyes widened and it was kind of gratifying to catch a man as stoic as him off guard. Oikawa seemed to share Kageyama's views on that as he simply wrapped his arms around his fiancé's shoulders and kissed his cheek.

"You knew about this?," Iwaizumi breathed, eyes trained on Oikawa.

"Well yeah, of course! He told me not to tell you though. To his credit, he only told me like three days ago."

"Oh." Iwaizumi looked at a loss, but he didn't look upset, and Kageyama took that as a good sign. He was still anxious though, and he was eager for an answer.

"Well," Iwaizumi said, voice laced will ill-concealed affection, "as long as you promise to make the proposal super cheesy, and keep him happy for the rest of his life, I don't see why not."

Kageyama couldn't stop the traitorous smile that suddenly upturned his lips, almost against his will and he was surprised to see how stunned Iwaizumi was by the action.

"You should... Ah... Definitely smile more," Iwaizumi grumbled, blushing slightly. "Suits you."

Kageyama blushed in return, and Oikawa simply laughed before whispering something in Iwaizumi's ear that made him blush 15 shades of red.

"Shitty-kawa, don't say- wha- I ne- I gotta go!"

So saying he stood up abruptly, but before walking away, he turned to face Kageyama one last time.

"I'm glad it's you and I'm trusting you with something extremely precious to me. Please take care of him, and never let him go, yeah?"

Kageyama mutely nodded, unable to say any words that would properly express his gratitude and Iwaizumi flashed him a rare smile before walking away with Oikawa's arm looped through his own.

The whole bar was filled with chatter, and it felt so nice, so lively and warm. Hinata eventually said bye to Akaashi and Bokuto before making his way back to Kageyama, but just before he could sit down, he hooked both his hands into the bars' ledge and heaved himself up, body leaning over the counter top.

"Kageyama," he said, beckoning the man closer. Kageyama leaned in without even questioning the man's intentions and suddenly, a pair of warm, slightly wet lips pressed against his own with a gentle, loving pressure. It was gone before he could savour it and Hinata's radiant smile was worth the second hand embarrassment he was dealing with for kissing his boyfriend in front of so many people.

There were more glasses than Kageyama had accounted for, but Hinata didn't seem to mind keeping him company. Sometimes they lapsed into comfortable silence, otherwise they argued passionately about which team would make the volleyball regionals. Hinata was also excited to show him some new tattoo designs he was working on and Kageyama wanted him to taste test a few of his new concoctions.

It was so easy- this, what they had between them. It was easy and wonderful and just everything he could ever want. Not that they didn't have any problems or arguments; hell, they were two extremely passionate and stubborn individuals but at the end of the day, the chemistry and compatibility between them was rivalled by none. And Kageyama knew- this was the person he wanted to wake up to every morning, the person he wanted to enjoy all his future experiences with, this was the person he wanted to openly declare as his other half.

Hinata would probably look even better with that simple gold band on his finger, he decided.

While Kageyama was busy preparing himself for his job, Hinata watched him closely, slightly miffed by his smile. Kageyama wasn't one to smile openly, but from the looks of it, this smile was not in his control and small though it was, it still managed to pull at Hinata's heart strings. He took another sip of his delicious drink as he continued to watch his boyfriend and he sighed, content.

Life was good, and for once, he felt so absolutely at peace.

A continuous stream of music played in the back, low in volume but not in quality. It was a mix of jazz, blues, old rock, and grunge. A Queen song was playing, radio gaga, and it's upbeat tune made Hinata move in sync to it, his hips swaying in his seat. When the song finally died away, a few moments of silence enveloped them after which a familiar, beautiful tune wafted through the speakers.

It took Hinata all of 3 seconds to guess the song- But not for me by Chet Baker. It was a beautiful song, one of his personal favourites. He let his eyes slide shut as he drank in the catchy tune, enjoying the smoothness of the trumpets, the piano and the beat. He felt like he was imagining it, but it seemed like the volume of the song had increased.

As he sat and swayed in his seat, Chet Baker's oh so seductive voice crooned through the speakers, a young man's voice with a touch of romance and adventure.

_They're writing songs of love but not for me_

_A lucky star's above but not for me_

_With love to lead the way, I've found more clouds of gray_

_Than any Russian play could guarantee_

Hinata jerked in place when a hand rested on his shoulder and his eyes snapped open, resting on Kageyama's figure beside him. The man had pulled off his apron and simply stood in front of him in his bartending outfit, something he looked really good in. He was blushing, very faintly but still plenty visible to Hinata, and he slowly outstretched his hand.

For a few brief moments, Hinata wondered if Kageyama wanted something from him- money, food, a video game. A quick glance behind the man told him a whole different story.

It appeared that while Hinata had closed his eyes, the others had decided to get up and dance. It proved that he hadn't imagined the increase in volume and one look at the group told him just how much fun everyone was having. Daichi and Suga were laughing as they moved goofily, Kenma was standing on Kuroo's toes as the man gently moved them in a safe, tiny, square like pattern, Iwaizumi and Oikawa were dancing like professionals while Bokuto and Akaashi were simply locked in a tight, loving embrace.

Hinata's face flamed at the prospect of dancing with Kageyama but he wanted to so badly that he eagerly grabbed the outstretched hand, and was gently tugged to the middle of the floor. Chet Baker continued to sing, his voice soothing Hinata's frantic heartbeat.

_I was a fool to fall and get that way_

_Heigh-ho, alas and also, lack-a-day_

_Although I can't dismiss the memory of his kiss_

_I guess he's not for me_

To say Hinata was shocked by Kageyama's dancing skills would be an understatement. The man moved with practised ease, his body swaying to the music perfectly and he led the dance effortlessly, making Hinata look graceful which was in and of itself, an accomplishment, considering Hinata couldn't dance to save his life.

His one arm was curled around Kageyama's neck, fingers playing with the hairs at the back while his other hand was gently griped in Kageyama's. The footwork was easy, and Kageyama's movements were simple enough, so Hinata tried to sway in time to the music as well, earning a look of approval from his boyfriend.

The trumpet, the cello and the piano harmonised beautifully in the background as all the dancers moved haphazardly, yet the entirety of their dance was beautiful. It's beauty lay in the flaws and the wrong movements, and Hinata basked in the laughter and the hushed conversations surrounding him. Even Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were dancing, bodies tangled together as they moved slowly, a hushed conversation between them.

When Chet began singing again, Kageyama suddenly ducked down, his mouth right next to Hinata's ear and he did something that Hinata had never heard him do before- he sang. He sang right into Hinata's ear, and not only was he a surprisingly good singer, his voice did strange, strange things to Hinata's body.

_I was a fool to fall and get that way_

_Heigh-ho, alas and also, lack-a-day_

_Although I can't dismiss the memory of his kiss_

_I guess he's not for me_

Never in his wildest dreams did Hinata ever imagine that someone could sing a Chet Baker song better than the man himself, but Kageyama definitely was full of surprises. His voice was slightly rough, adding a sexiness that was different from the original track. The intimacy of the act laced with his voice as he sang perfectly in tune made Hinata's head spin in the most pleasant of ways.

Kageyama gently pushed him away and twirled him before pulling him flush against his body and dropping his head down again, singing the rest of the song right into his ear and he was sure his ear was a bright red colour, just like the rest of his face.

When the song came to an end, Kageyama dramatically dipped Hinata and the orangehead laughed gleefully, wholeheartedly trusting the man to take care of him. Kageyama moved down and captured his lips in a smooth, loving kiss, his lip ring pressing against Hinata's mouth, and Hinata had to keep himself from groaning outright.

"I love you," Kageyama whispered against his lips, and kissed him again. He seemed to be in a fabulous mood, and Hinata distantly wondered if it had anything to do with dancing.

"I love you," he responded, pecking his lips again and laughing when the man gave him Eskimo kisses, the two of them still in a dip. He really wanted to dance with the man again and figure out if that was the reason his mood was so good.

He didn't have to wait for too long to confirm that Kageyama did indeed enjoy dancing, and it was in fact, responsible for his good mood. The next chance he got to dance with the ravenhead was at a wedding.

Their wedding.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! 
> 
> Also, check out this adorable [wedding art piece](http://for-others.tumblr.com/post/140148240040/to-celebrate-the-end-of-qitana15s-amazing-fic) by for_others, its so cute I'm melting <3
> 
> I really hope this last chapter delivered. I rushed to complete it cause my finals are in days, and I knew if I didn't finish this, it would irritate me in the back of my mind and that just doesn't sit well with me. 
> 
> One thing I have to say- a humongous thank you to each and every artist that took the time out to draw some gorgeous pieces of art for this story. I loved it all so much and it just inspired me to continue this fic to the end. You guys are amazing and I love you. 
> 
> Another thing- thank you all for reading and supporting me! Your comments and kudos and bookmarks never failed to make my day and I love you all so so much. I'm kinda sad this story ended but I didn't want to drag it along, plus I have so many projects planned so I'm really excited about that! 
> 
> Thank you all again! I hope you had a good time. :')

**Author's Note:**

> [ qitana15 ](http://qitana15.tumblr.com)
> 
> My tumblr! Come say hi if that's your thing!


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